Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Jan;46(1):86-93.
doi: 10.15537/smj.2025.46.1.20240838.

The relationship between mothers with careers in higher education and child development in Indonesia

Zakiyah Yasin  1 , Ahmad Nawawi  1 , Shrimarti R Devy  1 , Siti R Nadhiroh  1
Affiliations

The relationship between mothers with careers in higher education and child development in Indonesia

Zakiyah Yasin et al. Saudi Med J. 2025 Jan.

Abstract

Objectives: To identify the association of mothers with a career in higher educati--on and their children's growth and development.

Methods: This was an analytical study with a cross-sectional design carried out at Wiraraja University, Sumenep, Indonesia, from March to August 2023. The samples were female lecturers at Wiraraja University. A total of 107 mothers were selected using total sampling. The mother's career was identified using a questionnaire and their child's growth and development were measured using child development pre-screening questionnaire. This study used Spearman's test data analysis.

Results: The correlation coefficient was 0.512 indicating a moderately strong relationship between working mothers and their child's growth and development. The findings suggest that time mothers' work-life balance, time allocation, and other support for caring child significantly impact developmental milestones.

Conclusion: There is a strong correlation between the time spent with children and the child's growth and development. For working mothers in academia, creating a supportive family or childcare environment and creating dedicated, quality time for interaction with their children are essential. Working mothers are encouraged to manage their time effectively to balance professional and parenting responsibilities and to engage in activities that enhance their children's physical, mental, and emotional development.

Keywords: career; child; child development; growth; higher education; mother.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Fitzsimons E, Pongiglione B. The impact of maternal employment on children’s weight: evidence from the UK. SSM Popul Health 2018; 7: 100333. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Goodman SH, Garber J. Evidence-based interventions for depressed mothers and their young children. Child Dev 2017; 88: 368-377. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Dewey KG, Arnold CD, Wessells KR, Prado EL, Abbeddou S, Adu-Afarwuah S, et al. . Preventive small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements reduce severe wasting and severe stunting among young children: an individual participant data meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr 2022; 116: 1314-1333. - PubMed
    1. Astutik E, Efendi F, Sebayang SK, Hadisuyatmana S, Has EMM, Kuswanto H. Association between women’s empowerment and diarrhea in children under 2 years in Indonesia. Child Youth Serv Rev 2020; 113: 105004.
    1. Dieleman LM, Soenens B, Vansteenkiste M, Prinzie P, Laporte N, De Pauw SSW. Daily sources of autonomy-supportive and controlling parenting in mothers of children with ASD: the role of child behavior and mothers’ psychological needs. J Autism Dev Disord 2019; 49: 509-526. - PubMed