Characteristics and related factors of Japanese mothers who have faced difficulties with childrearing

Abstract

Objective: To identify characteristics of mothers who face difficulties with childrearing.

Design and sample: Cross-sectional study. During 2014, 221 mothers and 248 children living in City A within the Tokyo metropolis were registered as requiring help with childrearing. Nursing records of 205 mothers (92.8%) and their 227 children (91.5%) were available. We excluded 29 mothers and children owing to incomplete data for a final sample of 176 mothers (79.6%) and 198 children (79.8%).

Measures: Difficulties with childrearing were assessed by self-reported questionnaires at the newborn child's 4-month health checkups. Data on maternal and child variables were collected from nursing records.

Results: The "Difficulties group" included 59 mothers (35.4%) and their 70 children. Logistic regression analysis showed that mothers who were aged 40 years or older, who had a total score on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale of 9 or greater, who used more child-care support services, and who were monitored more frequently by public health nurses had a high risk of facing difficulties with childrearing.

Conclusions: Periodic monitoring by PHNs is a key strategy to improve the impact of the difficulties of childrearing for mothers of yoshien jido and their children.

Keywords: advanced maternal age; child abuse; difficulty; maternal-child health; parent-child relationship.