Aims: This study explores the diverse impacts of family structure on rural Chinese adolescents’ non-cognitive skills using longitudinal data from the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS).
Instrument & Methods: Leveraging two waves of the China Education Panel Survey (2013–2015) on 5,111 rural adolescents, we refine family structure typology into four categories—dual‐parent, mother-only, father-only, and non-parent (skip‐generation) households. Non‑cognitive skills are quantified via culturally adapted Big‑Five dimensions, with principal‑component scores standardized on a 0–1 scale. Departing from resource‑deterministic models, we incorporate psychosocial covariates—sibling interactions, intergenerational role modeling, and emotional reciprocity—and apply multilevel linear regressions, alongside subgroup analyses for only‑child status and grandparental cohabitation, to disentangle structural and emotional pathways. Stata software was used to analyse data.
Findings: Compared with dual‑parent households, mother‑only, father‑only, and non‑parent (skip‑generation) families show 1.99%, 2.15%, and 2.52% lower non‑cognitive scores (p < 0.01), particularly in emotional stability and cooperation. Maternal care exerts stronger protection than paternal care, and grandparental co‑residence only partially offsets maternal absence.
Conclusion: Dual‑parent residency yields the highest non‑cognitive outcomes. Parental absence—especially maternal—significantly undermines adolescents’ emotional stability and cooperative skills. These findings point to the need for psychosocial interventions: bolster maternal caregiving support, provide targeted grandparent training, and integrate non‑cognitive skill development into school and community programs.
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Zhang,J. , LIANG,S. , Li,S. , Shi,Y. , Wang,Y. and Wei,J. (2025). The Influence of Family Structure on the Non-cognitive Ability of Rural Adolescents. Health Education and Health Promotion, 13(3), 1001-1011.
MLA
Zhang,J. , , LIANG,S. , , Li,S. , , Shi,Y. , , Wang,Y. , and Wei,J. . "The Influence of Family Structure on the Non-cognitive Ability of Rural Adolescents", Health Education and Health Promotion, 13, 3, 2025, 1001-1011.
HARVARD
Zhang J., LIANG S., Li S., Shi Y., Wang Y., Wei J. (2025). 'The Influence of Family Structure on the Non-cognitive Ability of Rural Adolescents', Health Education and Health Promotion, 13(3), pp. 1001-1011.
CHICAGO
J. Zhang, S. LIANG, S. Li, Y. Shi, Y. Wang and J. Wei, "The Influence of Family Structure on the Non-cognitive Ability of Rural Adolescents," Health Education and Health Promotion, 13 3 (2025): 1001-1011,
VANCOUVER
Zhang J., LIANG S., Li S., Shi Y., Wang Y., Wei J. The Influence of Family Structure on the Non-cognitive Ability of Rural Adolescents. Health Education and Health Promotion, 2025; 13(3): 1001-1011.
Health Education and Health Promotion