The Relationship between Household Chaos and Child, Parent, and Family Outcomes: A Systematic Scoping Review

Abstract

Background: Household chaos, represented by the level of disorganisation or environmental confusion in the home, has been associated with a range of adverse child and family outcomes. This review aims to (1) identify how household chaos is measured, (2) chart study details of household chaos literature, and (3) map the existing literature with respect to the relationship between household chaos and child, parent, and family outcomes. We expect that this review will highlight the need to consider the importance of household chaos in child well-being research, particularly in those families where children may be more vulnerable to the adverse effects of household chaos.Methods: We searched five electronic databases (last updated September 1st 2018) in addition to Google Scholar, and identified publications via a 3-stage screening process, which was conducted by two researchers. Published studies were included if they investigated the association between household chaos and child, parent, or family outcomes. Research that investigated household chaos as a mediator or moderator, or that investigated how the relationship between household chaos and the outcome of interest was mediated or moderated, were also included. Results: 112 studies in 111 publications were included. The majority were conducted in the United States (n=71), and used either cross-sectional (n=60) or longitudinal (n=49) study designs. Outcomes of interest were categorised into seven categories: (1) cognitive and academic (n=16), (2) socio-emotional and behavioural (n=60), (3) communication (n=6), (4) parenting, family, and household functioning (n=21), (5) parent outcomes (n=6), (6) hormone (n=8), and (7) physical health and health behaviours (n=19). There was consistent evidence for significant correlations between household chaos and adverse outcomes across all seven categories in diverse populations with respect to age, disease status, and socio-economic status (SES).Conclusion: There is consistent evidence for associations between household chaos and a number of adverse child, parent, and family-level outcomes. Household chaos may also help describe variations in outcomes between low SES and child development.

Patterns and predictors of adolescent life change during the COVID-19 pandemic: a person-centered approach

“…According to existing evidence in adolescence, lower family income could predict worse psychological and academic status (Davis-Kean, 2005;Shapero & Steinberg, 2013), and the limited living space could predict poor mental health and low quality of life (Ravens-Sieberer et al, 2021). Moreover, a review on family chaos concluded its negative effects on adolescent academic development, socioemotional well-being, and mental and physical health (Marsh et al, 2020). Jointly, the present study considered family economic status, per capita living space, and home chaos as indicators of the whole family climate and discovered their influences on adolescent life changes.…”

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Results of the 3 Pillars Study (3PS), a relationship-based programme targeting parent-child interactions, healthy lifestyle behaviours, and the home environment in parents of preschool-aged children: A pilot randomised controlled trial

“…Note, household chaos refers to the level of disorganisation, noise, and environmental confusion in the home, and has been associated with a range of adverse child outcomes. It has been suggested that household chaos impacts children by increasing levels of stress and distraction, interfering with children's attention allocation and information processing skills, and compromising positive parent-child interactions and parental responsiveness [53].…”

“…• Household chaos, which represents the level of disorganisation, environmental confusion, and background noise and distractions in the home [53], was assessed using the 15-item Chaos, Hubbub, and Order Scale (CHAOS) [58], and engagement in routines of daily life using the Daily Living Routines subscale of the Child Routine Inventory (CRI) [59].…”