Association between Mothers’ Attachment Styles and Parenting Stress among Japanese Mothers with Toddlers
Parenting stress is affected by various factors, including maternal attachment; however, the number of studies focusing on Japanese samples is limited. As such, we explored the association between mothers’ attachment styles and parenting stress among Japanese mothers with 18-month-old toddlers. This...
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MDPI AG
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Psychiatry International |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5318/3/2/10 |
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| author | Ayano Kit Kazuhiko Arima Yasuyo Abe Satoshi Mizukami Yoshihito Tomita Maiko Hasegawa Yoko Sou Takayuki Nishimura Mayumi Ohnishi Kiyoshi Aoyagi |
| author_facet | Ayano Kit Kazuhiko Arima Yasuyo Abe Satoshi Mizukami Yoshihito Tomita Maiko Hasegawa Yoko Sou Takayuki Nishimura Mayumi Ohnishi Kiyoshi Aoyagi |
| author_sort | Ayano Kit |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Parenting stress is affected by various factors, including maternal attachment; however, the number of studies focusing on Japanese samples is limited. As such, we explored the association between mothers’ attachment styles and parenting stress among Japanese mothers with 18-month-old toddlers. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Sasebo City, Japan between 2018 and 2019. Anonymous self-reported questionnaires were distributed to 1399 mothers who attended an infant health check-up. We categorized maternal attachment style as secure, anxious/ambivalent, or avoidant, and conducted a multiple logistic regression analysis to evaluate the associations between each attachment style and parenting stress. Of the 1399 mothers, 529 responded to the survey (37.8%). About 40% reported experienced parenting stress. Further, approximately two-thirds showed a secure attachment style, 20% had an anxious/ambivalent style, and 15% had an avoidant style. In the multiple logistic regression analysis, the ambivalently attached mothers had a significantly higher level of parenting stress than those with secure attachment (odds ratio = 2.4, 95% confidence interval (1.5, 3.9)), but avoidantly attached mothers did not have a significantly higher level of parenting stress than those with secure attachment (odds ratio = 0.9, 95% confidence interval (0.5, 1.6)). The findings demonstrate that an anxious/ambivalent attachment style is associated with a higher level of parenting stress than a secure style. Thus, it is important for experts to understand the mother’s attachment style when offering childrearing support. |
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f3266bca34574f28b447759c5535449e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-5318 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:40:11Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
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| record_format | Article |
| series | Psychiatry International |
| spelling | doaj.art-f3266bca34574f28b447759c5535449e2023-11-23T18:43:09ZengMDPI AGPsychiatry International2673-53182022-03-013212213010.3390/psychiatryint3020010Association between Mothers’ Attachment Styles and Parenting Stress among Japanese Mothers with ToddlersAyano Kit0Kazuhiko Arima1Yasuyo Abe2Satoshi Mizukami3Yoshihito Tomita4Maiko Hasegawa5Yoko Sou6Takayuki Nishimura7Mayumi Ohnishi8Kiyoshi Aoyagi9Department of Public Health, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8523, JapanDepartment of Public Health, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8523, JapanDepartment of Health and Nutrition, Nishikyushu University, Saga 842-8585, JapanDepartment of Public Health, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8523, JapanDepartment of Public Health, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8523, JapanMedical Policy Division, Nagasaki Prefectural Government, Nagasaki 850-8570, JapanKen-Ou Health Care Office, Nagasaki 854-0081, JapanDepartment of Public Health, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8523, JapanUnit of Nursing, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8520, JapanDepartment of Public Health, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8523, JapanParenting stress is affected by various factors, including maternal attachment; however, the number of studies focusing on Japanese samples is limited. As such, we explored the association between mothers’ attachment styles and parenting stress among Japanese mothers with 18-month-old toddlers. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Sasebo City, Japan between 2018 and 2019. Anonymous self-reported questionnaires were distributed to 1399 mothers who attended an infant health check-up. We categorized maternal attachment style as secure, anxious/ambivalent, or avoidant, and conducted a multiple logistic regression analysis to evaluate the associations between each attachment style and parenting stress. Of the 1399 mothers, 529 responded to the survey (37.8%). About 40% reported experienced parenting stress. Further, approximately two-thirds showed a secure attachment style, 20% had an anxious/ambivalent style, and 15% had an avoidant style. In the multiple logistic regression analysis, the ambivalently attached mothers had a significantly higher level of parenting stress than those with secure attachment (odds ratio = 2.4, 95% confidence interval (1.5, 3.9)), but avoidantly attached mothers did not have a significantly higher level of parenting stress than those with secure attachment (odds ratio = 0.9, 95% confidence interval (0.5, 1.6)). The findings demonstrate that an anxious/ambivalent attachment style is associated with a higher level of parenting stress than a secure style. Thus, it is important for experts to understand the mother’s attachment style when offering childrearing support.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5318/3/2/10attachment styleparenting stressmotherstoddlersJapancross-sectional study |
| spellingShingle | Ayano Kit Kazuhiko Arima Yasuyo Abe Satoshi Mizukami Yoshihito Tomita Maiko Hasegawa Yoko Sou Takayuki Nishimura Mayumi Ohnishi Kiyoshi Aoyagi Association between Mothers’ Attachment Styles and Parenting Stress among Japanese Mothers with Toddlers Psychiatry International attachment style parenting stress mothers toddlers Japan cross-sectional study |
| title | Association between Mothers’ Attachment Styles and Parenting Stress among Japanese Mothers with Toddlers |
| title_full | Association between Mothers’ Attachment Styles and Parenting Stress among Japanese Mothers with Toddlers |
| title_fullStr | Association between Mothers’ Attachment Styles and Parenting Stress among Japanese Mothers with Toddlers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Association between Mothers’ Attachment Styles and Parenting Stress among Japanese Mothers with Toddlers |
| title_short | Association between Mothers’ Attachment Styles and Parenting Stress among Japanese Mothers with Toddlers |
| title_sort | association between mothers attachment styles and parenting stress among japanese mothers with toddlers |
| topic | attachment style parenting stress mothers toddlers Japan cross-sectional study |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5318/3/2/10 |
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