Relations Among Maternal Life Satisfaction, Shared Activities, and Child Well-Being

Association between maternal dissatisfaction with oneself at birth and shaking and smothering toward the offspring up to 18 months old

BACKGROUND

A mother who feels dissatisfaction with herself may resort to abusive behavior such as shaking or smothering toward their offspring. Understanding this association can inform effective prevention strategies.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the associations between maternal feelings of dissatisfaction with oneself and infant physical abuse.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

The study included 434 mothers who had recently given birth in two obstetric wards in a relatively wealthy area in Tokyo, Japan.

METHODS

Adopting a longitudinal design, the study used questionnaires post-childbirth to measure mothers' dissatisfaction with themselves. This involved evaluating perceptions of failing to meet personal standards or self-image. Physical abuse (specifically shaking or smothering) in infants was tracked at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months. Data analysis comprised multilevel analysis, group-based trajectory modeling, and multivariable logistic regression to explore the association between maternal dissatisfaction and child physical abuse.

RESULTS

Multilevel analysis showed that mothers with middle or high dissatisfaction with themselves were more likely to abuse their infant compared to mothers with low dissatisfaction with themselves (adjusted odds ratios [aOR] 5.71, 95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.06-30.78 and aOR 12.47, 95 % CI: 2.11-73.69, respectively). Trajectory analyses indicated that mothers with middle or high dissatisfaction with themselves were consistently more likely to abuse their infants up to 18 months (aOR 8.08, 95 % CI 1.61-40.53 and aOR 6.42, 95 % CI 1.27-32.43, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings highlight a robust association between mother's dissatisfaction with themselves and a higher risk of infant physical abuse. These insights call for a comprehensive review of preventive measures for childhood physical abuse.

Meta-Analyses of the Relationships between Family Systems Practices, Parents' Psychological Health, and Parenting Quality

(1) Background: Family systems theories include assertations that both personal and environmental factors are determinants of parents' psychological health, well-being, and parenting quality. Applied family systems theories focus on determinants that can be operationalized as intervention practices. The analyses described in this paper focused on the direct and indirect effects of four family systems practices (family needs, resources, supports, and strengths), parents' psychological health (depression, well-being, etc.), and parenting quality (parenting beliefs, involvement, and practices) in families of children with identified disabilities, medical conditions, or at-risk conditions for poor outcomes; (2) Methods: Data from previously completed meta-analyses of the relationships between family systems practices and parents' psychological health outcomes and parenting quality outcomes were reanalyzed. Next, a meta-analysis of the relationships between parents' psychological health and parenting quality was completed to identify which predictors were related to which parenting quality outcomes. Both main effects and mediated effects were examined; (3) Results: The four family systems practices were each related to six different psychological health measures and three parenting quality measures. The six different parental psychological health measures were also related to the three parenting quality measures. The relationships between family systems practices and parenting quality were partially mediated by parents' psychological health; (4) Conclusions: The effects of family systems practices and parents' psychological health on parenting quality were primarily direct and independent. The relationships between family systems practices and parenting quality were partially mediated by parents' psychological health. Future research should focus on the identification of other mediator variables found to be important for explaining the indirect effects of family systems practices measures on parenting beliefs, behavior, and practices.

The diverging patterns of life satisfaction between families: A latent profile analysis in dual-earner parents with adolescents

This study identifies family profiles based on the level of life satisfaction (LS) in mothers, fathers and adolescents, and variables related to their family, food, and work life. The sample was composed of 303 families of dual-earner parents (mothers’ mean age = 40.9 years, SD = 7.4, fathers’ mean age = 43.2 years, SD = 7.2) and one of their children aged between 10 and 17 years (mean age 13.3, SD = 2.4, 51.5% female). A Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was used to identify five family profiles. Profiles differed in LS, satisfaction with family life (SWFaL), satisfaction with food-related life (SWFoL), family functioning, both parents’ work-life balance and their perception of the financial situation of the household. Balanced and imbalanced families in terms of LS differed in the three family members’ LS and SWFaL, mothers’ and children’ SWFoL and family functioning, and both parents’ perception of financial situation. These results contribute to understanding the heterogeneity of life satisfaction dynamics between and within dual-earner families.

Examination of risk exposure models during COVID-19 in relation to youth life satisfaction and internalizing symptoms

This study examined mediation of a negative COVID-impact on the relationship between risk exposure, and life satisfaction and internalizing symptoms in youth (aged 9–18). Four operationalizations of risk exposure were applied; an Additive versus a Cumulative Risk Model (ARM and CRM), risk clusters and the most salient risk factors. Results showed that a stronger negative COVID-impact is related to lower life satisfaction, more internalizing symptoms and higher additive and cumulative risk. ARM and CRM’s effect on lower life satisfaction is mediated through negative COVID-impact, though not for internalizing symptoms. Clusters of risk factors and risk factors within clusters significantly related to a stronger negative COVID-impact are the clusters ‘Individual factors’ (low self-control), ‘Parenting’ (negative mother–child interaction and low parental responsiveness), ‘Maternal mental health’ and ‘Demographic factors’ (low SES and high paternal education). From all significant risk factors, low self-control, low parental responsiveness, negative mother–child interaction and low SES were most salient.

The everyday occupations of East Asian mothers who have children with disabilities: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Everyday occupations refer to activities that people do associated with their roles, to bring meaning and purpose to life. The occupations of non-Asian mothers of children with disabilities have been well-documented but less is known about the occupations of East Asian mothers.

AIMS

This scoping review described the everyday occupations of East Asian mothers who have children with disabilities.

METHODS

A well-documented five-stage framework was utilised, guided by PRISMAScR. A search was conducted across five data bases for peer-reviewed research between 2008-2020, which informed the occupations of mothers living in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Vietnam.

RESULTS

Thirty-two articles met criteria, of which twenty-nine were qualitative studies and three were mixed-methods studies. 415 mothers were represented. The themes were: doing, roles, volitional components and processes, cultural values and practices, environmental enablers, barriers and transformation, which provided rich description of various aspects of occupations of East Asian mothers, who have children with disabilities.

CONCLUSIONS

The everyday occupations of East Asian mothers who have children with disabilities were shaped by their cultural values. This review provided insights into mothers' activity choices and valued roles, which highlighted for practitioners in disability services, the importance of cultural awareness and sensitivity when supporting East Asian mothers and their families.

Paternal Support and Involvement in Unmarried Fragile Families: Impacts on Long-Term Maternal Mental Health

Fragile families are defined as those that include unmarried or romantically unstable parents who have children and are socioeconomically disadvantaged. Mothers in fragile families may experience risk factors that lead to increased depressive symptoms that inhibit their ability to bounce back after stressful events. Risk factors for poorer maternal mental health may include declines in father involvement and a lack of coparenting support. This study examined the connected nature of coparenting and father involvement over time among continuously unmarried mothers from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. A bidirectional latent growth curve analysis demonstrated that early father involvement was associated with a more gradual decline in coparenting support over the child's first 5 years, while early coparenting support also predicted a slower decline in father involvement over time. Steeper declines in coparenting support and father involvement over time were linked with more maternal depression and lower maternal life satisfaction when their child was nine. Results demonstrate a clear need for targeted intervention with both parents in fragile families to promote involved fathering behavior and enhance coparental relationships.