Fatigue in mothers of infants and young children: factor structure of the fatigue assessment scale

PurposeParents are seen to mediate media behavior of their children to protect them from negative and undesirable effects of advertising. In doing so, they either restrict TV viewing by children or actively discuss ad content with children. The nature of mediation strategy to be used depends upon the age of their children. The purpose of this study is to uncover the nature of mediation strategies used by mothers of younger and older children in India. The findings and implications of the study are further discussed.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from three cities of Punjab state of India – Amritsar, Jalandhar and Ludhiana and its capital city of Chandigarh during the period November 2010 to June 2011. The mothers were the basic sampling unit for the present study as they are seen to be the primary caregivers for children. Parents of children in eight schools (two from each city), were approached through the schools. The children were asked to take the questionnaire home and get it filled by their mother. Parental mediation of food advertising was measured through a parental advertising mediation scale developed by Valkenburg et al.FindingsThe results of the present study reveal that mothers of Indian children resort to mediation of ads in general and food ads in particular. The nature of mediation is also governed by age of children. Mothers of older children primarily use active advertising mediation and mothers of younger children use restrictive mediation strategies. It is also seen that mothers mediate the exposure of food ads more strongly in younger children as compared to older children.Originality/valueAlthough vast literature exists about parental mediation of advertising to children, hardly any study has been conducted in India to investigate the nature of parental mediation of advertising to children. The present study adds to the existing literature by delving into this aspect in the Indian settings. More so, as age of children is witnessed to affect nature of parental mediation, this study also sheds light on the way parents in India mediate exposure of children to TV ads.

Background: The prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors is high and rising among younger women. Mothers of young children often exhibit poorer diets and lower physical activity levels than mothers of older children and women without children. CVD risk remains elevated well past the 1-year postpartum period for those with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Yet, little is known about interventions for CVD prevention among this group. Objective: To review and synthesize the available literature on lifestyle interventions for CVD prevention among mothers of young children (≤5 years) and highlight gaps to inform future research. Methods: We searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, and EMBASE for peer-reviewed English-language articles published 2009-2023 on lifestyle interventions for CVD prevention in mothers with children 1-5 years. The rationale for this age range was because the care needs for this age group are distinct from those of infants but require a higher degree of hands-on caregiving compared to older children. The review was conducted following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, with articles screened by two independent reviewers, with a third reviewer available to resolve conflicts. Results: Of 1,405 studies, none exclusively recruited mothers with children 1-5 years. Six studies were eligible because reported mean child age was ≤5 years (Figure 1). Total sample size across studies was 1,614. Five were randomized controlled trials testing in-person (n=3) or digital (n=2) lifestyle interventions. Interventions included workshops with physical activity sessions (n=1), in-person physical/mental health education (n=3), video-based physical/mental health education with peer support groups (n=1), and a smartphone app (n=1). No interventions focused on sleep or tobacco use (Life’s Essential 8 components), or addressed social determinants, which are major drivers of health. Study follow-up ranged from 6-18 months. Outcome measures included self-reported diet, physical activity, perceived stress, and quality of life, and objective assessments of blood pressure, glucose, lipid levels, and weight. Five of 6 studies reported positive results at their primary time points. Conclusions: Effective strategies to improve CVD risk in mothers of young children have the potential to prevent CV events in later life. Our results highlight a significant gap in the literature on such interventions, underscoring the need for targeted research for this population.

It has been considered more or less evident that the youngest children should live with their mothers following parental separation. In Norway and a few other countries where equal parenting has been a cultural ideal, political ambition and a legal reality for some time, this seems to be changing. In this paper we explore the experiences of separated mothers of infants (0–12 months), toddlers (1–3) and young children (4–6) who had been the primary caregivers of the child before the separation, but where fathers claimed or expressed a wish for joint physical custody. We show that the mothers adapt to such wishes or claims, either voluntarily or by force. Our findings, we argue, reflect both a reduction and an expansion of motherhood: reduction as the equal status of mothers and fathers promoted through joint physical custody is achieved at the expense of the mothers and expansion as mothers are expected to ‘step aside’ and support the post-separated father in becoming equally involved in the child’s life. The study gives insight into the emotional costs joint physical custody may involve for mothers of young children – costs which should be given more consideration in political and academic debates about joint physical custody in the future.

BackgroundFatigue is common among mothers of infants and young children and associated with a range of negative parenting outcomes. Little is understood, however, about the mechanisms by which fatigue may impact on parenting, particularly among mothers beyond 12 months post‐partum. This study investigated the relationship between maternal fatigue and overreactive discipline, and whether parenting self‐efficacy mediates this relationship.MethodsParticipants were 252 Australian mothers of 1–4 years old children. Levels of fatigue, parenting self‐efficacy, and overreactive discipline were recorded via a self‐report questionnaire.ResultsA simple mediation model analysis provided support for the direct effect of fatigue on overreactive discipline, as well as the mediation of this relationship by parenting self‐efficacy.ConclusionsThese findings suggest fatigue may contribute to overreactive discipline in mothers of young children via two pathways: directly, and indirectly via parenting self‐efficacy. Interventions that support mothers to manage fatigue and maintain a sense of parenting self‐efficacy while facing ongoing exhaustion may promote the use of more effective and less adverse discipline responses with children.

Parenting stress and perceived stigma in mothers of young children with epilepsy: A case–control study

This study investigates the relationship between age of mother and children's health and development at birth and at approximately three years of age. The sample is composed of Black and Hispanic women and their firstborn children who were delivered on the wards of a large New York City hospital in 1975. There were no differences between children of teenage and older mothers in terms of prematurity or birthweight, but the children of younger mothers had higher Apgar scores than those of older mothers. Age of mother was not significantly related to hospitalizations, the need to see a physician regularly, or abnormal weight. Although the number of injurious conditions and the incidence of burns were higher among the children of adolescent mothers, the effect of age of mother was not independent of other factors. The children of teenage mothers scored better than those of older mothers on the total Denver Developmental Screening Test, as well as on the Fine Motor sector. These findings thus suggest that when relevant background characteristics are controlled, children of teenage mothers are as healthy and develop as well as children of older mothers.

Research has demonstrated the short- and long-term impacts of maternal mental health and well-being on children's emotional and behavioral outcomes. It is thus important to better understand the antecedents of maternal depression and stress. The aim of this study was to determine whether the contribution of perceived paternal involvement to account for mothers' depression and parental stress was mediated by relationship factors such as parenting alliance and dyadic adjustment. A second aim was to determine whether these relationships hold equally true in mothers of infants and young toddlers (0–24 months) and mothers of older children (25 months and older). Cross-sectional data were collected from 447 mothers. Mothers reported on their perceptions of paternal involvement with childcare responsibilities, dyadic adjustment, parenting alliance, parenting stress, and depression. Multi-sample path modeling analyses were conducted. Results revealed that perceived paternal involvement was positively related to both dyadic adjustment and parental alliance, that parenting alliance was negatively related to all three subscales of parenting stress and mothers' depression but that dyadic adjustment was negatively related to parenting distress (one subscale of parenting stress) and mothers' depression. Results from the multi-sample analyses indicated that the pattern of relationships was the same in the two groups, but that the model was not invariant. The most notable difference was that parenting alliance did not significantly account for depression in the mothers of younger children. Correlates of maternal mental health and well-being identified in this study could be useful when designing psychological interventions for mothers and fathers.

Background: Pregnancy and childrearing can impact women's health and alter chronic disease trajectories in later life, including cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to assess measures of women's cardiovascular health by time since last live birth. Materials and Methods: Data were from 4,021 nonpregnant U.S. women, 20-44 years of age, participating in the 2007-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Cardiovascular health was assessed using physical measures, laboratory measures, self-reported behaviors, medical conditions, and selected psychosocial factors by time since last live birth. Results: Women reported their last live birth within the past 12 months ("mothers of infants"; 7.4%), >12 months, but <3 years ago ("mothers of toddlers"; 10.0%), or ≥3 years ago ("mothers of older children"; 45.2%); 37.3% were nulliparous. Compared with nulliparous women, mothers of older children had a higher prevalence of selected cardiovascular risk factors, including unhealthy diet (75.6% vs. 68.8%) and smoking (28.1% vs. 21.9%), after adjustment for sociodemographics (including age). Mothers of toddlers had a higher prevalence of unhealthy diet (78.0% vs. 68.8%). Mothers also had poorer metabolic health as indicated by a higher prevalence of low HDL cholesterol among mothers of toddlers and older children (44.2% and 40.4%, respectively, vs. 33.6%), and a higher prevalence of high waist circumference among mothers of infants (65.6% vs. 53.8%). Some mothers also had a higher prevalence of other cardiovascular risk factors, including low physical activity and poor sleep. Conclusion: Prior pregnancy and childrearing may be associated with selected cardiovascular risk factors among nonpregnant reproductive-aged U.S. women.

ObjectivesMothers with young children are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of the lifestyle changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the association between such changes and maternal mental health...

Although most mothers of young children work, we do not know much about the effect of this work on the mothers' health. The aim of this article is to review and discuss some of the findings on this subject, in order to understand whether paid and unpaid work are associated with mothers' health. Results from available studies show that, while employment tends to be associated with better physical and mental health in mothers, its effects are inconsistent when mothers of babies or young children are specifically examined. For physical health, employment is likely to have a negative effect for working-class mothers and a positive effect for middle-class ones. For mental health, the trend is unclear; mothers' psychological well-being is negatively affected, however, by the presence of one or more preschoolers, a lack of involvement by the husband, difficulties linked to child care, and the women's preferences concerning their professional status. Moreover, variables such as education, income, social class, housing, and marital status are likely to affect the health of mothers of young children, just as they affect the health of other women.

To identify the stress experienced by mothers of young children with cerebral palsy in Bangladesh and to determine predictive factors. We recruited 91 mothers of children with cerebral palsy ages 1.5 to 5 years as they sought services at an urban and a rural center for their children. Mothers were interviewed with the Self-Report Questionnaire and other family background and child behavior measures. The children were examined by a pediatrician and by a psychologist. Out of 91, 38 (41. 8%) mothers were at risk for psychiatric morbidity. Significantly associated factors included living in the rural area within a poor family, with a relatively older child. The strongest predictor of maternal stress in multivariate analysis was child behavior problems, especially those related to burden of caring. Ensuring practical help for mothers and advice on managing common behavior problems are important components of intervention, as they may directly help to relieve stress on mothers of young disabled children in developing countries.

This study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding about different strategies used by mothers to feed their 6-23-month-old children, as well as to learn about mothers' behaviors in response to situations of food refusal by her child, in order to generate evidence that contributes to the information gap on responsive feeding in Peru. The study was conducted in the city of Huánuco, a peri-urban area of Peru, with mothers of children in the complementary feeding stage participating. An in-depth 5-hour home observation was conducted in eight mother-child dyads. Both the mothers' and children's mealtime and food-related behaviors were coded and an inductive thematic analysis was applied. The primary objective of many of the strategies used by the mothers was to get their child to eat a little more. Six strategies were identified: pressure, encouragement, facilitating intake, acceptance, negotiation and reasoning. Certain differences were found in the strategies employed by the mother according to the age of her child, with mothers of younger children using more encouragement and mothers of older children using more pressure for their child to eat. The mothers' behavior in response to the child's refusal of food was both responsive and non-responsive (controlling), depending on the reason for the refusal. The findings are of great value for understanding about the feeding interactions of mother-child dyads in Peru and they start to address the information gap and can support the development of nutritional intervention strategies for use with children.

To provide reference data on sleep duration throughout childhood and explore the demographic characteristics associated with sleep. Population-based prospective longitudinal birth-cohort study. South-West England, children born in 1991-1992 and followed since birth. Eleven thousand five hundred children with repeat measures of sleep from birth based on parent-reported questionnaires. Data on daytime and nighttime sleep duration and timings and night awakenings at 8 timepoints from age 6 months to 11 years. Total sleep duration steadily fell from 13 hours and 12 minutes during infancy to 9 hours and 49 minutes at 11 years of age. Compared with earlier studies, the younger children in this cohort slept for a shorter period. The variation in sleep duration was very wide: from 10 to 17 hours in early infancy, narrowing to 8.5 to 11 hours at 11 years. Half of the children at preschool age woke at least once during the night, but frequent waking (> 3 times) peaked in infancy (10% of all infants) and steadily declined in the preschool-aged years. Despite going to bed at the same time, girls slept consistently longer than boys (by 5-10 minutes). Children from low-income families went to bed later and woke up later, but there was little difference in total sleep duration. Children of younger mothers (< 21 years) slept longer, whereas children of older mothers (> 35 years) slept persistently less. Children in larger families tended to go to bed later, as did the minority group of non-White children in the cohort. Given the wide natural variation of sleep in the childhood population, any recommendations on optimal sleep duration at any age must take into account considerable individual variability.

SummaryBackgroundBoth young and advanced maternal age is associated with adverse birth and child outcomes. Few studies have examined these associations in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) and none have studied adult outcomes in the offspring. We aimed to examine both child and adult outcomes in five LMICs.MethodsIn this prospective study, we pooled data from COHORTS (Consortium for Health Orientated Research in Transitioning Societies)—a collaboration of five birth cohorts from LMICs (Brazil, Guatemala, India, the Philippines, and South Africa), in which mothers were recruited before or during pregnancy, and the children followed up to adulthood. We examined associations between maternal age and offspring birthweight, gestational age at birth, height-for-age and weight-for-height Z scores in childhood, attained schooling, and adult height, body composition (body-mass index, waist circumference, fat, and lean mass), and cardiometabolic risk factors (blood pressure and fasting plasma glucose concentration), along with binary variables derived from these. Analyses were unadjusted and adjusted for maternal socioeconomic status, height and parity, and breastfeeding duration.FindingsWe obtained data for 22 188 mothers from the five cohorts, enrolment into which took place at various times between 1969 and 1989. Data for maternal age and at least one outcome were available for 19 403 offspring (87%). In unadjusted analyses, younger (≤19 years) and older (≥35 years) maternal age were associated with lower birthweight, gestational age, child nutritional status, and schooling. After adjustment, associations with younger maternal age remained for low birthweight (odds ratio [OR] 1·18 (95% CI 1·02–1·36)], preterm birth (1·26 [1·03–1·53]), 2-year stunting (1·46 [1·25–1·70]), and failure to complete secondary schooling (1·38 [1·18–1·62]) compared with mothers aged 20–24 years. After adjustment, older maternal age remained associated with increased risk of preterm birth (OR 1·33 [95% CI 1·05–1·67]), but children of older mothers had less 2-year stunting (0·64 [0·54–0·77]) and failure to complete secondary schooling (0·59 [0·48–0·71]) than did those with mothers aged 20–24 years. Offspring of both younger and older mothers had higher adult fasting glucose concentrations (roughly 0·05 mmol/L).InterpretationChildren of young mothers in LMICs are disadvantaged at birth and in childhood nutrition and schooling. Efforts to prevent early childbearing should be strengthened. After adjustment for confounders, children of older mothers have advantages in nutritional status and schooling. Extremes of maternal age could be associated with disturbed offspring glucose metabolism.FundingWellcome Trust and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Previous case-control or cross-sectional studies have provided conflicting results about whether children of teenage mothers are at increased risk of maltreatment compared with children of older mothers. This study is the first to examine this question using a longitudinal, cohort design and the first to address important methodologic issues such as detection bias. Subjects were 219 consecutive index children born to inner-city women who were 18 years or younger and 219 sociodemographically similar comparison children born to women 19 years or older. Data were collected by reviewing the medical records of each child through the fifth birthday. Three outcomes were examined: maltreatment, poor growth, and a change in the child's primary caretaker. Maltreatment was ascertained by having two experts, one of whom was blind to the group status, review each injury documented in the records. Predefined criteria were used to distinguish unintentional injuries from maltreatment (abuse, neglect, or sexual abuse). Maltreatment occurred more frequently in the children of young mothers (12.8%) than in the comparison group (6.4%) (risk ratio [RR] = 2.00; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.17, 3.64). Poor growth, defined by growth criteria, occurred in 6.9% of the index group and in 4.1% of comparison children (RR = 1.67; 95% CI = 0.75, 3.73). A change in the child's primary caretaker, either because of placement in foster care or because the mother left the home, occurred in 12.8% of the index group and in 3.2% in comparison children (RR = 4.00; 95% CI = 1.80, 8.87).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)