[The relationship between parenting anxiety in mothers and the resources from which they routinely sought advice: The final "Healthy Parents and Children 21" survey]

Social isolation among mothers caring for Infants in Japan: findings from the Nationwide Survey of healthy parents and children 21

Background

Child-rearing isolation may increase the risk of child abuse and negatively affect child development owing to increased urbanization and a decline in family and community support systems.

Purpose

This study aimed to identify the prevalence of child-rearing isolation and the related sociodemographic factors among mothers in Japan using data from the Final Survey of Healthy Parents and Children 21.

Participants

Mothers of young children attending their health checkups.

Methods

Multivariate logistic regression models assessed the association between child-rearing isolation and socio-demographic variables. Data from 69,337 women were analyzed.

Results

Mothers who experienced child-rearing isolation comprised 0.2% of all participants. Mothers who were 35 to 39 years old at childbirth (OR = 1.6, CI[1.0, 2.4], p = .036), were unemployed (OR = 1.7, CI[1.3, 2.4], p = .001), had experienced financial difficulty (OR = 1.8, CI[1.3, 2.5], p < .001), had husbands with limited participation in child-rearing (OR = 5.7, CI[4.2, 7.9], p < .001), lived in special wards in the Tokyo Metropolis (OR = 4.2, CI[2.2, 8.3], p < .001), had child abuse concerns (OR = 2.1, CI [1.5, 2.9], p < .001), and had no time to relax with their child (OR = 4.5, CI [3.1–6.7], p < .001) exhibited higher odds ratios for child-rearing isolation, compared to mothers who did not exhibit these characteristics.

Conclusions

Findings showed the impact of urban living on maternal health and the influence of isolation on mothers’ anxiety about child-rearing and their potential for child maltreatment. The importance of fathers’ involvement in child-rearing in preventing maternal child-rearing isolation was highlighted.

Supplementary information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10995-022-03427-0.

Relationship between Maternal Mood Disorders and Dietary Intake of 3-Year-Olds

Maternal depression affects parenting and children's early development, but its effect on dietary intake is unknown. While husbands' involvement in parenting and having friends to talk to may reduce childcare stress, this has not been thoroughly studied. In this study, mothers were stratified by the presence or absence of mood disorders, and the effects of support from their husbands and friends on the dietary intake of their 3-year-old children were examined. This cross-sectional analysis included 920 mother-child pairs examined at the National Center for Child Health and Development in Japan. Dietary intake was assessed using a brief dietary history questionnaire, and physical measurements were taken when the children were 3 years old. The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale was used to screen for maternal mood disorders, 3 years after delivery. The presence or absence of the husband's assistance with housework and childcare, mental support, and friends was obtained from a self-administered questionnaire when the child was 3 years old. Differences in the children's physical measurements, energy, and food intake with the presence or absence of support for subjects with or without mood disorders were compared. Mothers with support from husbands or friends had significantly fewer mood disorders. Support from friends and family did not affect the children's physical development and whether or not mothers had mood disorder symptoms. However, children's vegetable intake was higher if mothers were supported. Children of mothers with mood disorders had a significantly higher vegetable intake and fruit intake, depending on the support from friends (P=0.046,  P=0.037); thus, such support may increase children's vegetable and fruit intake. The results of this study revealed the importance of supportive friends and family regarding childcare.