The association between perceived social support and parenting self-efficacy among parents of children aged 0-8 years

Strengthening social support has been recognized as a potentially effective strategy to enhance parenting self-efficacy, but empirical evidence is limited. This study examined the association between perceived social support and parenting self-efficacy.Data of 647 parents of children aged 0-8 years, gathered in the CIKEO cohort study in the Netherlands, were analysed. Data were collected between October 2017 and December 2019. Multivariable linear regression models were used to examine the association between social support and parenting self-efficacy. The mean age of the participants was 33.8 years (SD = 4.9); 94.9% mothers. At the start of the study, 15.1% parents perceived low to moderate social support. Parents who experienced lower levels of social support at the start of the study reported lower parenting self-efficacy at follow-up (β: 0.13; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.21), independent of potential socio-demographic confounders. Experiencing an increase in perceived social support during the study period was associated with an increase in parenting self-efficacy (β: 0.15; 95% CI: 0.10, 0.21). Our findings indicate perceived social support is associated with parenting self-efficacy among parents of children aged 0-8 years. Future longitudinal studies need to confirm our findings and may examine which social support interventions are effective in strengthening parenting self-efficacy.</p

Factors associated with parenting self-efficacy: A systematic review

Aims: To provide an overview of the parental, child, and socio-contextual factors related to general parenting self-efficacy (PSE) in the general population. Design: Systematic review. Data sources: Medline Ovid, Web of Science, Embase, and PsycINFO Ovid were systematically searched for studies published between January 1980-June 2020. Review Methods: Studies were included if they described associations between factor(s) and PSE among parents of children aged 0–18 years old in the general population, and published in an English language peer-reviewed journal. Studies with participants from specific populations, studies describing the development of instruments for PSE, qualitative studies, reviews, theses, conference papers and book chapters were excluded. Belsky's process model of parenting guided the data synthesis.  Results: Of 3,819 articles, 30 articles met the inclusion criteria. Eighty-nine factors were identified. There was evidence of associations between child temperament, maternal parenting satisfaction, parenting stress, maternal depression, household income, perceived social support and PSE. Evidence was inconsistent for an association of educational level, parity, number of children in the household and PSE in mothers. There was no evidence of an association for child gender, age, marital status and PSE in both mothers and fathers; ethnicity, age, employment status in mothers; household income in fathers; and educational level, parenting fatigue in parents. Conclusion: A range of factors studied in relation to PSE was identified in this systematic review. However, the majority of the factors was reported by one or two studies often implementing a cross-sectional design. Impact: There is some evidence for an association between some potentially modifiable factors and PSE in the general population, this information may be used by health and social professionals supporting child health and well-being. Future longitudinal studies are recommended to study parental, child and socio-contextual factors associated with PSE to inform the development of intervention strategies

Associations of socioeconomic status indicators and migrant status with risk of a low vegetable and fruit consumption in children

Background: It is important to provide insight in potential target groups for interventions to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in children's vegetable/fruit consumption. In earlier studies often single indicators of socioeconomic status (SES) or migrant status have been used. However, SES is a multidimensional concept and different indicators may measure different SES dimensions. Our objective is to explore multiple associations of SES indicators and migrant status with risk of a low vegetable/fruit consumption in a large multi-ethnic and socioeconomically diverse sample of children. Methods: We included 5,010 parents of 4- to 12-year-olds from a Dutch public health survey administered in 2018. Cross-sectional associations of parental education, material deprivation, perceived financial difficulties, neighbourhood socioeconomic status (NSES) and migrant status with low (≤4 days a week) vegetable and fruit consumption in children were assessed using multilevel multivariable logistic regression models. Results are displayed as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Of the 4- to 12-year-olds, 22.1% had a low vegetable consumption and 11.9% a low fruit consumption. Low (OR 2.51; 95%CI: 2.05, 3.07) and intermediate (OR 1.83; 95%CI: 1.54, 2.17) parental education, material deprivation (OR 1.45; 95%CI: 1.19, 1.76), low NSES (OR 1.28; 95%CI: 1.04, 1.58) and a non-Western migrant status (OR 1.94; 95%CI: 1.66, 2.26) were associated with a higher risk of a low vegetable consumption. Low (OR 1.68; 95%CI: 1.31, 2.17) and intermediate (OR 1.39; 95%CI: 1.12, 1.72) parental education and material deprivation (OR 1.63; 95%CI: 11.27, 2.08) were also associated with a higher risk of a low fruit consumption. Conclusion: Our findings indicate associations of multiple SES indicators and migrant status with a higher risk of a low vegetable/fruit consumption in children and thus help to identify potential target groups

Associations between organised leisure-time activities and mental health problems in children

Previous studies conducted mainly among adolescents have found associations between participation in sport organised leisure-time activities (OLTAs) and mental health problems (MHP). Fewer research studies have been performed to primary school-aged children and to organised non-sport OLTAs. Therefore, the objective is to examine whether there is an association between participation in sport and non-sport OLTAs and a high risk of MHP in 4- to 12-year-olds. Data were used on 5010 children from a cross-sectional population-based survey conducted between May and July 2018 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Associations between sport OLTAs, non-sport OLTAs and breadth of OLTAs and a high risk of MHP were explored using logistic regression models adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, stressful life events and physical activity. Of all children, 58% participated in sport OLTAs and 22% in non-sport OLTAs. The proportion of children with high risk of MHP among participants in sport OLTAs is smaller than among non-participants (OR 0.66, 95% CI: 0.53, 0.81). The proportion of children with high risk of MHP among participants in non-sport OLTAs is smaller than among non-participants (OR 0.69, 95% CI: 0.53, 0.91). The proportion of children with a high risk of MHP among participants in 1 category of OLTAs (OR 0.61, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.76) and in 2-5 categories of OLTAs (OR 0.48, 95% CI: 0.32, 0.71) is smaller than among non-participants. Conclusion: The proportion of children with high risk of MHP among participants in OLTAs is smaller than among non-participants

A prospective study on the association between social support perceived by parents of children aged 1–7 years and the use of community youth health care services

Aim: This study examined the association between social support perceived by parents of children aged 1–7 years and the use of additional community youth health care services. Methods: Data of 749 parents of children aged 1–7 years, gathered in the CIKEO cohort study in the Netherlands, were analyzed. Social support was assessed with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Data on the use of additional community youth health care services during a period of 1.5 years were obtained from the electronic records of participating youth health care organizations. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the association between perceived social support and the use of additional youth health care services and to explore moderation by the parent's educational level. Results: The mean age of the responding parents was 33.9 years (SD = 5.1); 93.6% were mothers. Parents who perceived low to moderate levels of social support had 1.72 (95% CI: 1.11, 2.66) times higher odds of using one or more additional youth health care services during the study period compared to parents who perceived high levels of social support at baseline. This association was independent of predisposing factors, but not independent of need factors (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the association was moderated by the educational level of the parent (p = 0.015). Among parents with a high educational level, low to moderate levels of perceived social support at baseline were associated with 2.93 (95% CI: 1.47, 5.83) times higher odds of using one or more additional youth health care services during the study period independent of predisposing and need factors. Among parents with a low or middle educational level the association between perceived social support and use of additional youth health care services was not significant. Conclusion: Our findings provide evidence that low to moderate levels of perceived social support are associated with a higher use of additional community youth health care services among parents of children aged 1–7 years, especially among high educated parents. Recommendations for policy and practice are provided

Socio-demographic characteristics associated with perceived social support among parents of children aged 0–7 years: the CIKEO study

Abstract Background Social support has been associated with numerous positive outcomes for families’ health, wellbeing and empowerment. This study examined which socio-demographic characteristics are associated with perceived social support among parents of children aged 0–7 years. Method Cross-sectional data of 1007 parents of children aged 0–7 years, gathered in the CIKEO cohort study in the Netherlands, were analysed. Social support was assessed with the Multi-dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Linear regression models were used to examine associations between socio-demographic characteristics and perceived social support. Results The mean age of the participants was 34.1 years (SD = 5.1); 92.9% were mothers. The multivariable regression model showed that fathers (β: -0.15, 95% CI: − 0.22, − 0.08), parents with a low educational level (β: -0.12, 95% CI: 0.18, − 0.06), parents with a low income (β: -0.10, 95% CI: − 0.19, − 0.01), unemployed parents (β: -0.14, 95% CI: − 0.20, − 0.07), and parents of older children (β: -0.07; 95% CI: − 0.13, 0.00) perceived lower levels of social support. Interaction analyses showed that parents with a migration background and a low educational level were particularly susceptible to perceiving lower levels of support (β: -0.34, 95% CI: − 0.52, − 0.15). Conclusion Fathers, parents with a low educational level, parents with a low income, unemployed parents, parents of older children, and parents with both a migration background and a low educational level are at increased risk of perceiving lower levels of social support. Implications We recommend to develop, implement and evaluate intervention strategies to strengthen perceived social support among the abovementioned subgroups of parents, in order to improve families’ health, wellbeing and empowerment. Trial registration NTR7607 in the Netherlands trial registry

The Association between Stressful Life Events and Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Children 0–7 Years Old: The CIKEO Study

Background: Stressful life events (SLEs) are recognized risk factors for emotional and behavioral problems, but the association is understudied among young children. Our aim was to examine the association between exposure to SLEs and emotional and behavioral problems in young children up to 7 years old. Methods: We analyzed baseline data from 959 children (mean age = 3.3 years; SD = 1.9; 47.5% girls) in the CIKEO study, a community-based longitudinal study in the Netherlands. Linear regression was used to assess the associations between the total as well as the individual exposure to SLEs experienced in the past 12 months, and emotional and behavioral problems assessed by CBCL 1.5-5. Interactions of SLEs and child age, sex, ethnic background, and socioeconomic status were explored. Results: Higher total exposure to SLEs, as indicated by the number of SLEs, was significantly associated with higher CBCL total, internalizing and externalizing problem scores (p for trend < 0.05). The results did not differ by child age, sex, ethnic background, or family SES. Six out of the 12 SLEs explored were independently associated with greater CBCL total/externalizing/internalizing scores (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Exposure to SLEs is associated with higher levels of emotional and behavioral problems in young children, and the impact of SLEs may vary depending on the types of events. Stressful life events might be a useful target for interventions to improve emotional and behavioral well-being among young children

Parental, child and socio-contextual factors associated with parenting self-efficacy among parents of children aged 0-7 years old: the CIKEO study

BACKGROUND: A high parenting self-efficacy (PSE) has been associated with positive parenting and positive child development. However, there is limited and inconsistent information on factors associated with PSE. OBJECTIVE: To investigate factors associated with PSE in parents of children aged 0-7 years old, and to explore whether the associations were different between mothers and fathers. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of the baseline data from a prospective cohort study: the CIKEO study. A total of 1012 parents (mean age = 33.8, SD = 5.0) completed self-reported measure of PSE and 18 potential factors associated with PSE. RESULTS: Multivariable models revealed that lower parenting stress, fewer child behavior problems, better eating behavior, better parental and child general health, a smaller number of children living in the household, higher perceived level of social support and having a migration background were associated with higher levels of PSE (p < 0.05). The association between family functioning and PSE differed between mothers and fathers (p for interaction = 0.003): with beta and 95% confidence interval being: 1.29 (- 2.05, 0.87), and 0.23 (- 0.46, 3.29), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A range of parental, child and social-contextual factors in relation to PSE were identified. The patterns of associations for most of the factors were similar among mothers and fathers. However, the association between family functioning and PSE might differ for mothers and fathers. Our findings are relevant for tailoring and implementing successful interventions and effective policy making in child care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Netherlands National Trial Register number NL7342. Date of registration: 05-November-2018, retrospectively registered

Longitudinal associations between parent, child, family factors and dyssomnias in children from birth to 8 years: The CIKEO study

Background: Dyssomnias, are the most common parent-reported sleep complaints in young children. The present study investigated the prevalence, one-year development (incidence and persistence) of dyssomnia in early childhood, and the parent, child, and family factors associated with dyssomnia. Methods: Longitudinal data of 700 children aged 0–8, gathered in the CIKEO cohort study in the Netherlands were analyzed. Dyssomnias were defined as the presence of night awakenings ≥3 times per night or sleep-onset latency of >30 min. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was used to identify the parental, child, and family factors associated with the incidence and persistence of dyssomnias in children. Results: The mean age of the children (47 % girls) was 3.2 ± 1.9 years at baseline and 4.4 ± 1.8 years at follow-up. The prevalence of dyssomnias was 13.3 % and 15.4 % at baseline and follow-up, respectively. The incidence and persistence rates of dyssomnias at follow-up were 12.0 % and 37.6 %, respectively. New incidence of insomnia was associated with being a girl, having medical conditions, experiencing stressful life events, and lower parenting self-efficacy at baseline (P < 0.05). Higher levels of parental psychological distress were associated with the persistence of dyssomnias in children (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Dyssomnias are common with a moderate persistent rate in young children. Several parental, child, and family factors in relation to the incidence and persistence of dyssomnias were identified. Preventive programs and interventions targeting modifiable factors, particularly parental psychological distress, parenting self-efficacy, and resilience to stressful life events, might benefit child sleep

Evaluation of effectiveness of (elements of) parenting support in daily practice of preventive youth health care; design of a naturalistic effect evaluation in 'CIKEO' (consortium integration knowledge promotion effectiveness of parenting interventions)

Public Health and primary carePrevention, Population and Disease management (PrePoD