Relationship Between Reactive Aggression in Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children and Attitudes Toward Having a Disabled Child Mediated by Maternal Chronic Fatigue: A Structural Equation Model

Abstract

Background: Deafness and hearing loss can pose adverse developmental consequences in communicative, cognitive, and socioemotional areas for both the child and parents. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of maternal chronic fatigue in the relationship between the reactive aggression of deaf and hard-of-hearing children and attitudes toward having a disabled child. Methods: This study employed a descriptive correlational research design. The statistical population of this study consisted of mothers of all deaf and hard-of-hearing elementary students in special centers for such children in Ahvaz, Iran, of whom 202 mothers were selected as the sample through convenience sampling. Data collection was performed using the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Scale, Attitudes of Parents with Special Needs Children toward Their Children Scale, and Chalder Fatigue Scale. The proposed model was examined using structural equation modeling (SEM), and indirect relationships between the research variables were tested by bootstrapping. Results: The mean and standard deviation (SD) of reactive aggression, attitudes toward having a disabled child, and maternal chronic fatigue were 20.37 ± 4.84, 73.16 ± 14.66, and 21.47 ± 6.12, respectively. The results showed a significant relationship between attitudes toward having a disabled child and maternal chronic fatigue and between maternal chronic fatigue and reactive aggression in children (P < 0.001). Nevertheless, no significant relationship was observed between attitudes toward having a disabled child and reactive aggression in children. The results also indicated that maternal chronic fatigue mediated the indirect relationship between attitudes toward having a disabled child and reactive aggression in deaf and hard-of-hearing children (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The study findings suggested that the finalized model was well fitted to the data; therefore, it can be used to identify the maternal factors causing reactive aggression in deaf and hard-of-hearing children.