Using epidemiological data to identify needs for child-rearing support among Chinese parents: a cross-sectional survey of parents of children aged 6 to 35 months in 15 Chinese cities
Abstract Background The quality of the family environment—in particular, the kind of parenting children receive in their early years—plays a critical role in influencing children’s growth and development. To facilitate the development and delivery of appropriate parenting and family interventions fo...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2019-11-01
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| Series: | BMC Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-019-7635-y |
| _version_ | 1828779152916873216 |
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| author | Yue Zhang Matthew Sanders Weiwei Feng He Tang Huishan Wang Xi Jin Jieling Wu Guangwen Huang Jin Sun Yan Luo Lanqiu Lv Shuangqin Yan Dongmei Zhao Lijuan Mu Dongmei Yan Hong Wang Xueting Gao Jing Yang Hong Wang Nianrong Wang Jie Shao Jinliuxing Yang Divna Haslam |
| author_facet | Yue Zhang Matthew Sanders Weiwei Feng He Tang Huishan Wang Xi Jin Jieling Wu Guangwen Huang Jin Sun Yan Luo Lanqiu Lv Shuangqin Yan Dongmei Zhao Lijuan Mu Dongmei Yan Hong Wang Xueting Gao Jing Yang Hong Wang Nianrong Wang Jie Shao Jinliuxing Yang Divna Haslam |
| author_sort | Yue Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The quality of the family environment—in particular, the kind of parenting children receive in their early years—plays a critical role in influencing children’s growth and development. To facilitate the development and delivery of appropriate parenting and family interventions for Chinese parents, this study explores the prevalence of the difficulties that may arise in the course of child-rearing, the associated sociodemographic factors and parents’ help-seeking behavior. Methods A cross-sectional self-reporting survey was conducted with a sample of 2229 parents of children between 6 and 35 months of age. Using a stratified random-digit design, parents from 15 Chinese cities were surveyed to determine their child-rearing difficulties, support-seeking behavior and their preferences for service delivery. The sociodemographic factors that influenced major child-rearing difficulties were analyzed using bivariate and logistic analyses. Results The majority (87.5%) of Chinese parents of children aged 6–35 months reported experiencing child-rearing difficulties. Nearly one third (31.5%) of parents reported experiencing major difficulties. Feeding and sleep problems were most often reported. Regression analysis revealed that major child-rearing difficulties most often involved male children (OR = 1.35, 95% CI 1.11–1.64), single-child households (OR = 1.38, 95% CI 1.07–1.77), and households with financial problems (OR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.06–1.85). Just over one third of parents (33.44%) sought professional support, while 21.37% had attended a parenting course in the past year. Prefer ways of sourcing parental support included professional online platform (69.24%), self-help books (43.70%), face-to-face consultation (24.99%), and attending lectures (36.57%). Conclusions Child-rearing difficulties are common among parents of children between 6 and 35 months of age in Chinese cities. The family with boys, single-child, financial problems, and father not joining in child-rearing may face the high risk to major child-rearing difficulties. The national initiative to provide more guidance and support for child-rearing difficulties is worthwhile, as is the development of online parenting programs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T16:56:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cef38297268d4eb9b217b0f72f553084 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T16:56:09Z |
| publishDate | 2019-11-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-cef38297268d4eb9b217b0f72f5530842022-12-22T00:57:57ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582019-11-0119111210.1186/s12889-019-7635-yUsing epidemiological data to identify needs for child-rearing support among Chinese parents: a cross-sectional survey of parents of children aged 6 to 35 months in 15 Chinese citiesYue Zhang0Matthew Sanders1Weiwei Feng2He Tang3Huishan Wang4Xi Jin5Jieling Wu6Guangwen Huang7Jin Sun8Yan Luo9Lanqiu Lv10Shuangqin Yan11Dongmei Zhao12Lijuan Mu13Dongmei Yan14Hong Wang15Xueting Gao16Jing Yang17Hong Wang18Nianrong Wang19Jie Shao20Jinliuxing Yang21Divna Haslam22Children’s Health Care Department, National Center for Women and Children’s Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and PreventionParenting and Family Support Centre, School of Psychology, the University of QueenslandChildren’s Health Care Department, National Center for Women and Children’s Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and PreventionChildren’s Health Care Department, National Center for Women and Children’s Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and PreventionChildren’s Health Care Department, National Center for Women and Children’s Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and PreventionChildren’s Health Care Department, National Center for Women and Children’s Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and PreventionGuangdong province Maternal and Child Health HospitalHunan province Maternal and Child Health HospitalDalian Maternal and Child Health HospitalGuiyang Maternal and Child Health HospitalNingbo Women and Children’s HospitalMa’anshan Maternal and Child Health HospitalQilu Children’s Hospital of Shandong UniversityFangshan District Maternal and Child Health HospitalLianyungang Maternal and Child Health HospitalHubei Province Maternal and Child Health HospitalNorthwest Women and Children’s HospitalQinghuangdao Maternal and Child Health HospitalSichuan province Maternal and Child Health HospitalChongqing Maternal and Child Health HospitalThe Children’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of MedicineChildren’s Health Care Department, National Center for Women and Children’s Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and PreventionParenting and Family Support Centre, School of Psychology, the University of QueenslandAbstract Background The quality of the family environment—in particular, the kind of parenting children receive in their early years—plays a critical role in influencing children’s growth and development. To facilitate the development and delivery of appropriate parenting and family interventions for Chinese parents, this study explores the prevalence of the difficulties that may arise in the course of child-rearing, the associated sociodemographic factors and parents’ help-seeking behavior. Methods A cross-sectional self-reporting survey was conducted with a sample of 2229 parents of children between 6 and 35 months of age. Using a stratified random-digit design, parents from 15 Chinese cities were surveyed to determine their child-rearing difficulties, support-seeking behavior and their preferences for service delivery. The sociodemographic factors that influenced major child-rearing difficulties were analyzed using bivariate and logistic analyses. Results The majority (87.5%) of Chinese parents of children aged 6–35 months reported experiencing child-rearing difficulties. Nearly one third (31.5%) of parents reported experiencing major difficulties. Feeding and sleep problems were most often reported. Regression analysis revealed that major child-rearing difficulties most often involved male children (OR = 1.35, 95% CI 1.11–1.64), single-child households (OR = 1.38, 95% CI 1.07–1.77), and households with financial problems (OR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.06–1.85). Just over one third of parents (33.44%) sought professional support, while 21.37% had attended a parenting course in the past year. Prefer ways of sourcing parental support included professional online platform (69.24%), self-help books (43.70%), face-to-face consultation (24.99%), and attending lectures (36.57%). Conclusions Child-rearing difficulties are common among parents of children between 6 and 35 months of age in Chinese cities. The family with boys, single-child, financial problems, and father not joining in child-rearing may face the high risk to major child-rearing difficulties. The national initiative to provide more guidance and support for child-rearing difficulties is worthwhile, as is the development of online parenting programs.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-019-7635-yChild rearingWell-child careInfantsSupport seekingService deliveryParenting |
| spellingShingle | Yue Zhang Matthew Sanders Weiwei Feng He Tang Huishan Wang Xi Jin Jieling Wu Guangwen Huang Jin Sun Yan Luo Lanqiu Lv Shuangqin Yan Dongmei Zhao Lijuan Mu Dongmei Yan Hong Wang Xueting Gao Jing Yang Hong Wang Nianrong Wang Jie Shao Jinliuxing Yang Divna Haslam Using epidemiological data to identify needs for child-rearing support among Chinese parents: a cross-sectional survey of parents of children aged 6 to 35 months in 15 Chinese cities BMC Public Health Child rearing Well-child care Infants Support seeking Service delivery Parenting |
| title | Using epidemiological data to identify needs for child-rearing support among Chinese parents: a cross-sectional survey of parents of children aged 6 to 35 months in 15 Chinese cities |
| title_full | Using epidemiological data to identify needs for child-rearing support among Chinese parents: a cross-sectional survey of parents of children aged 6 to 35 months in 15 Chinese cities |
| title_fullStr | Using epidemiological data to identify needs for child-rearing support among Chinese parents: a cross-sectional survey of parents of children aged 6 to 35 months in 15 Chinese cities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Using epidemiological data to identify needs for child-rearing support among Chinese parents: a cross-sectional survey of parents of children aged 6 to 35 months in 15 Chinese cities |
| title_short | Using epidemiological data to identify needs for child-rearing support among Chinese parents: a cross-sectional survey of parents of children aged 6 to 35 months in 15 Chinese cities |
| title_sort | using epidemiological data to identify needs for child rearing support among chinese parents a cross sectional survey of parents of children aged 6 to 35 months in 15 chinese cities |
| topic | Child rearing Well-child care Infants Support seeking Service delivery Parenting |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-019-7635-y |
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