Intolerance of uncertainty and protective parenting in mothers of children with food allergy

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe study examined the influence of two dimensions of intolerance of uncertainty (i.e., desire for predictability and uncertainty paralysis) on protective parenting behaviors in mothers of children with food allergy. Sixty-six mothers of 3- to 6-year-old children with food allergy completed the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS) and measures of two types of protective parenting – restrictive protectiveness and intrusive/nurturant protectiveness. Restrictive protectiveness was significantly related to both the desire for predictability and uncertainty paralysis dimensions of the IUS among mothers of children over the age of 5 years. Intrusive/nurturant protectiveness was significantly related only to the desire for predictability dimension of the IUS among mothers of children under the age of 4.5 years. The results demonstrate the two dimensions of intolerance of uncertainty predict the type of protective parenting behaviors used by mothers of children with food allergy and that age moderates this association. Taken together, the findings suggest that intolerance of uncertainty may be a risk factor for overly protective parenting in children with food allergy and other health conditions.