Background: Our aim was testing the relationship of several aspects of
marital conflicts and children’s health in a complex model. Methods: 336 parent-child pair
participated in this cross-sectional questionnaire study. Children (ages 9-12 years) completed
Children’s Perception of Interparental Conflict Scale, anxiety (STAI-C), depression (CDI)
scales, Child Behavior Checklist whereas the parents completed Marital Stress Scale. We used
structural equation modeling (MIMIC model). Findings: The frequent, intense marital conflicts
associate greater perceived threat, poor coping, greater self-blame, more internalizing,
externalizing problems and more physical symptoms. Those younger children who blamed themselves
for their parents’ conflicts feel more threatened. Intense and poorly resolved conflicts and
more marital stress predict the children’s poor coping efficacy. The model fitted the data well
(χ2=53.59, df=46, p=.206, RMSEA=.022, RMSEA CI 90: .000-.044, CFI=.995, TLI=.984). The model
explained variances of internalization (43.9%), externalization (36.7%), somatic symptoms
(17.3%), and attentional problems (27.8%). Discussion: The model illustrates the effect of the
marital conflict to the child’s health enhancing the most significant aspects.
