Chinese Parents Research Articles

Chinese Muslims and Their Non-Muslim Families on Muamalat Fiqh Co-Existence (Ta’ayush)

Chinese Muslim converts in Malaysia often face dual rejection, viewed as traitors by their Chinese families and as outsiders by the Muslim communities. This study examines how these individuals navigate family conflicts while balancing their religious beliefs with Chinese Cultural heritage. Through qualitative semi structured interviews with 15 Chinese Muslims, three key findings emerged. Firstly, the Chinese Muslims feel disconnected from their Chinese original community due to their new identity, Secondly, they strive to preserve their Chinese cultural heritage while embracing their Muslim identity. Thirdly, they constantly negotiate their ethnic and religious identities especially with their non-Muslim families. Despite these challenges, the Chinese Muslims play a vital role as cultural bridges fostering understanding between the Muslim and non-Muslim communities. This implication is significant as their efforts align with the Islamic concept of Figh al ta’Ayush (peaceful co-existence), contributing to social harmony. This study concludes that Chinese Muslims while facing identity issues, significantly contribute to intercommunal understanding. Future studies could explore Chinese Muslim parents’ perception of Islam and their reasons for rejecting their children's conversion, proving further insights into these complex cultural dynamics.

Factors associated with the quality of life of Chinese parents who have lost their only child

This study used the three-level EuroQol five-dimension questionnaire (EQ-5D-3L) to assess the quality of life (QOL) of Chinese Shidu parents (who have lost their only child) and conducted an in-depth investigation into the factors affecting their QOL using non-parametric tests and the Tobit regression model. A total of 651 Shidu parents were enrolled in this study. The questionnaire included a general information survey, the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15), the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), and the three-level EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D-3L). The results revealed that approximately 60% of Shidu parents reported no problems in all five dimensions. Pain and discomfort were the most frequently reported problems among Shidu parents, affecting 23.35% of participants. The Tobit regression model revealed that GDS-15 scores, marital status, education, and self-reported health status were significantly associated with EQ-5D scores. Additionally, SSRS scores, GDS-15 scores, and self-reported health status were significantly associated with EQ-VAS scores. Based on the study's findings, relevant recommendations were proposed.

Education for profit in the era of Xi: biopower, resistance and China’s double reduction policy

ABSTRACT This study aims to advance the understanding of for-profit Chinese education during the tenure of Chairman Xi Jinping. Notably, Xi has recently targeted the privately operated, for-profit before-and-after school supplementary tutoring industry, commonly referred to as “Shadow Education”. In 2021, the introduction of the Double Reduction policy abruptly prohibited most SE businesses. Our research seeks to elucidate the impacts of this sudden policy shift on Chinese parents’ perceptions and decision-making regarding their children’s education and supplementary learning opportunities. Conducted in 2022 across mainland China, our study engaged 195 parents through an online survey followed by two focus group interviews. The investigation was driven by the primary research question: How did Chinese parents, whose children previously participated in SE, respond to the 2021 Double Reduction policy? The analysis is framed with Foucault’s theory of biopower, which envisions power as permeating all spheres of human life. This theoretical framework is particularly relevant as Chinese education under Xi Jinping’s government is increasingly exemplifies the pervasive influence of biopolitics across all facets of society and learning. We aim to address a critical gap in the study of Chinese education, focusing on the intricate interplay of policy analysis amidst broader social and economic forces.

Educational Value Priorities of Chinese Parents in a Global City: A Mixed-Methods Study in Hong Kong

This study examines the value priorities of Chinese parents regarding their children’s education in globally competitive context. Although Chinese parents are often viewed as being excessively controlling of their children and preoccupied with their academic performance, research indicates that contemporary Chinese families hold diverse beliefs and values influenced by globalization and socio-cultural transformations. Via a mixed-method study primarily using responses to surveys ( n = 867) and semi-structured interviews ( n = 18) among Chinese parents in Hong Kong schools, the study sheds light on multiple and competing educational priorities among Chinese parents of a new generation. Findings reveal the complex landscape of value orientations as the parents navigated the challenges of supporting their children’s schooling. Parents’ concerns about whole-child development appeared to sometimes conflict with the school system’s academic focus. Implications concerning the difficulties of aligning family-school values for collaboration and intensifying educational competition are discussed.

Parental expressions of love in Chinese American immigrant families: Implications for children's attachment security.

Harlow's seminal work on the nature of attachment focused on the importance of warm, responsive, and loving relationships in children's healthy development. While the need for love and care is arguably universal, the ways in which these emotions are expressed can vary across cultural contexts. We examined how Chinese American parents' expressions of love were associated with children's attachment security. A total of 110 Chinese American immigrant parent-child dyads (children 7-11 years old, 49% girls) participated in 3-min conversations in which parents were instructed to communicate love and care. Proposition-level analyses in speech (total 8825 propositions) identified three types of affection: training (guan and chiao shun); relational affection (qin); and validation (acceptance and encouragement of child's own expression of emotion, thoughts, and behaviors). Higher training was observed in parents with lower American orientation and lower income. Higher relational affection was observed in parents with lower income. Higher validation was observed in parents with higher income. Using path analyses, training and validation were found to be positively associated with children's attachment security beyond parenting styles. Effects of parents' relational affection were moderated by children's American orientation. Results demonstrate how immigrant parents draw on multiple cultural scripts to express love and care. These findings expand traditional concepts of parental love in immigrant families and illustrate how bicultural expressions of love can shape attachment security in middle childhood. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://youtu.be/HqUfIDxkFsE RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Analyses of parent-child discussions identified three parental affection styles (i.e., training, relational affection, and validation) as expressions of love and care in Chinese American immigrant families. Training and validation were positively associated withchildren's attachment security. Relational affection was associated with lowerattachment security for children with higher American cultural orientation, suggesting the effects of parent-child expressions of love are shaped by acculturation.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of Chinese parents with infants (aged 0-3 years) toward immunity, gut microbiota and biotics: a comprehensive study.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increasing focus towards infant immunity. The development and maintenance of the immune system are significantly influenced from birth, and is shaped by early-life infant feeding behavior. Hence, the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of parents play a crucial role in shaping the immune system of infants. A total of 2369 parents across 19 cities in China were surveyed using a self-designed online questionnaire. The KAP questionnaire assessed three domains: immunity, gut microbiota, and biotics (prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics). The questionnaire also included questions on infant health. An overwhelming majority of parents (97.90%) placed high value on their children's immunity, and 40.40% of them reported an increased level of concern following the COVID-19 pandemic. Diarrhea (78.80%), colds (75.70%), nighttime crying (73.80%), regurgitation (71.70%) and food retention (66.50%) were the major health issues reported. Knowledge scores toward immunity and gut microbiota were positively correlated to attitude and practice scores, respectively. Attitude scores toward immunity, gut microbiota and biotics were positively correlated to their respective practice scores. Parental knowledge score on immunity was negatively correlated with diarrhea, colds, regurgitation and food retention. On the other hand, parental practice scores toward immunity were negatively correlated with food retention. In regards to gut microbiota, parental knowledge score was negatively correlated with diarrhea, regurgitation and food retention; parental attitude score was negatively correlated with nighttime crying whereas practice score was negatively correlated with diarrhea, regurgitation, food retention and nighttime crying. Attitude score toward biotics was negatively correlated with nighttime crying and practice scores toward biotics was negatively correlated with colds, food retention and nighttime crying. This study demonstrated that significant gaps and misunderstandings exist among parents regarding immunity, gut microbiota health, and biotics. Both public education and interventions are crucial to enhance parental knowledge and practices, thereby improving infant immunity.

Family linguistic ecology in Chinese American diasporas: migrants’ heritage language planning and discursive ethnolinguistic identity in-between

ABSTRACT Heritage language maintenance is a challenge faced by many immigrant parents. Previous studies on Chinese immigrant families and inheritance of the mother tongue privileged a pedagogical perspective focusing on second-language acquisition and literacy developments. Little attention has been paid to the nuanced understanding of how Chinese immigrant parents help their children construct language resilience of (un)belongingness across home and host contexts and how children negotiate fluid hybrid identity construction. Through questionnaires, semi-constructed interviews, and home visits with four Chinese immigrant families in the United States, this linguistic ethnography study probes the linguistic ecology, (in)visible language planning, and discursive identity construction in Chinese American diaspora families. The findings suggest migrant parents’ congruence and conflict in explicit and implicit family language ideology, management, and practice. Children negotiate fluid discursive identity construction and mediate hybrid culture characterised by the diversity of pathways of language learning as a (dis)continuum. The findings highlight the significance of a linguistic ecological niche in emergent bilingual immigrants’ heritage language maintenance and development. This research illuminates how parents can foster a greater sense of possibility for transitional children’s journeys of being and becoming bilinguals or multilinguals.

Impact of Provincial Income Inequality on Parenting Styles in China during COVID-19.

Research on Chinese parenting styles using representative samples is limited, particularly during COVID-19, with most studies focusing on individual factors while neglecting regional influences. This study examines the impact of provincial income inequality, measured by the Gini coefficient, on parenting styles and how these effects vary across subgroups. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) 2020, encompassing 3768 children aged 7-16 years from 25 regions, we employed a multinomial logistic regression model to analyze the predictability of provincial income inequality on parenting styles identified through latent class analysis. Three parenting styles emerged during the first year of COVID-19: authoritarian (48.2%), autonomy granting (27.7%), and average-level undifferentiated (24.1%). A higher Gini coefficient related to a greater likelihood of parents adopting authoritarian or autonomy-granting parenting styles over average-level undifferentiated parenting. Subgroup analyses revealed a higher likelihood of adopting autonomy-granting and authoritarian parenting for male children compared to female. Mothers with lower education levels and parents in rural areas tend to favor authoritarian parenting in response to higher income inequality. This trend was less evident among more educated mothers and parents living in urban areas. These findings suggest that parenting styles in China are influenced by complex and region-specific factors.

Parent-child joint leisure activities during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT Parents’ active participation in children’s activities can enhance communication and interaction in the family context, contributing to a positive family climate and healthy child development. This study examined Chinese parent–child joint leisure and media activities from February to May 2022 when COVID-19 restrictions were in place. A total of 1716 parents, forming a convenience sample, were surveyed to determine the frequency of parental participation in three types of joint activities: media, outdoor and artistic. Overall, the parents participated in joint activities once or twice weekly. The frequency of parental participation in joint activities is positively correlated with a positive family climate, indicating the importance of parents’ participation and involvement in joint activities for developing a strong family relationship. Parents’ ow’n text-based media is also positively associated with their frequency of participation in joint activity. Finally, significant differences among various regions in China suggest the influence of different lockdown policies.

The Impact of Traditional Filial Piety on Chinese People

ABSTRACT In this article, I will analyze patterns in the most important book on the subject of traditional filial piety in Chinese culture. Several patterns of Chinese parent-child interaction are identified, including the hierarchical ladder between parents and children, probation of the expression of aggression, and Chinese parents’ infantilism and oral needs. On this basis, this article further demonstrates how these parent-child interaction patterns created by traditional filial piety shape some aspects of personality of Chinese people, such as the difficulty in expression of aggression, challenges with separation-individualization, the development of narcissistic problems, and the splitting of self-representations. This could provide deeper understanding for psychodynamic therapists who help Chinese patients.

Reducing parenting stress in Chinese parents of children with learning disabilities with a mindful parenting program: A randomized controlled trial

BackgroundParents raising children with Learning Disabilities (LDs) often face multiple challenges and high levels of parenting stress, especially in societies with intense academic competitions. Mindful parenting (MP) is an emerging approach that brings mindful awareness to parent–child interactions and is found effective in reducing parenting stress in various parent populations. AimsThis study examined the effectivenesss of an 8-week online MP program on Chinese parents of children with LDs. Methods and proceduresA MP program was adapted and implemented in an online format with 69 parents of children with LDs. A randomized controlled trial design was used to examine the efficacy of the mindful parenting group compared with a wait-list control group. Parenting stress, mindful parenting and self-compassion were assessed pre- and post-intervention. Outcomes and resultsCompared with the wait-list control group, the MP group participants showed decreased parenting stress (d = 0.62, p < 0.05), improved mindful parenting (d = 0.63, p < 0.05), and increased self-compassion (d = 0.61, p < 0.05). Conclusions and implicationsThese findings support the effectiveness of an online MP intervention in reducing parenting stress and increasing mindful parenting and self-compassion among Chinese parents of children with LDs. The behavioral and intrapersonal aspects of MP are more amenable to improvement, whereas the attitudinal and interpersonal aspects, particularly non-judgmental acceptance and compassion towards the child, are resistant to change. Future studies should explore strategies to enhance these attitudinal aspects and interpersonal processes of MP.

Shaping Habitus and “Good” Lifestyles: Music Education of Chinese Immigrant Families in the UK

This study investigates the phenomenon of “music fever” in the Chinese immigrant community in the UK, a relatively neglected research field in the English language literature. It explores the attitudes of Chinese immigrant parents towards their children’s music learning through three key concepts in Bourdieu’s cultural theory: capital, habitus, and field. Although the interviewees generally displayed a positive attitude towards their children’s music learning, it was conditional on it not interfering with their children’s academic studies. This study extends existing research on East Asian immigrants’ and parents’ perceptions of children’s music education, and contributes to the application of Bourdieu’s theoretical tool in research on East Asian cultural groups in both Western and non-Western contexts.

Gender preference in China: A study with indirect utility function

The traditional view is that China is a strong son preference country, and some empirical studies support such view. We argue that demand for children, including sex of children, and family size, is the outcome of economic decisions in which social and economic factors could interact with gender preference. Thus, it is possible that strong social and economic factors counteract the strong son preference and lead to daughter preference. To investigate this possibility, we propose an indirect utility function approach and apply it to a recent Chinese data set. We find strong evidence on preference reversal as incomes and child rearing costs rise substantially for Chinese urban parents. Given that China is now a middle-income country and child rearing costs have skyrocketed during the last four decades, we find that Chinese parents with one child have little interest in rushing to have a second child. This does not bode well for the Chinese government’s programs to improve demographics.

Novel compound heterozygous mutations in LEP responsible for obesity in a Chinese family

BackgroundEarly childhood obesity poses a significant global public health challenge, necessitating the identification of treatable causes, particularly congenital leptin deficiencies. Serum leptin level measurement aids in diagnosing these rare contributors, guiding effective management. MethodsA Chinese family with early-onset obesity underwent LEP mutational screening via direct sequencing. mRNA expression and protein stability patterns of LEP were separately analyzed using qPCR and bioinformatics. ResultsWe present a case of a 12.5-year-old girl born to non-obese, non-consanguineous Chinese parents, exhibiting low leptin levels. Leptin gene sequencing revealed novel compound heterozygous mutations in exon 3. RT-PCR analysis showed the mutation didn't affect leptin production. Bioinformatics analysis indicated the variant rendered the leptin protein unstable. ConclusionLoss-of-function mutations in LEP underlies early-onset obesity in the patient.

Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Version of the Core Symptom Index: A Study among Chinese Parents of Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders.

(1) Background: Parents of children with autism spectrum disorders often experience psychological distress, which can affect the quality of childcare they provide. It is crucial to screen for psychiatric symptoms among these parents. The core symptom index (CSI) is a widely recognized tool used to assess general symptoms, including depression, anxiety, and somatic issues. It has proven validity and reliability across diverse Thai populations. Given the cultural similarities between Thai and Chinese populations, the CSI has been successfully implemented within the Chinese population. Nevertheless, it is crucial to research its validity and reliability in the general Chinese population. This study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the CSI among parents of children with autism spectrum disorders using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). (2) Methods: A total of 794 Chinese parents raising children with autism participated in this study. All completed the CSI, along with the social inhibition subscale of the Interpersonal Problems Inventory and the Couple Satisfaction Index. Factorial validity was assessed using CFA to determine how well the bifactor three-factor model fits the data. Various structural models were compared using model fit indices. Convergent and discriminant validity were examined by exploring correlations with the social inhibition subscale and the Couple Satisfaction Index. Invariance testing of the CSI was conducted across multiple groups based on gender, age, and education using CFA. The reliability of the CSI was evaluated using McDonald's omega coefficients. (3) Results: The bifactor model emerged as the best-fitting model for the data, suggesting that the total score of the CSI adequately represents overall psychiatric symptoms. The CSI exhibited significant correlations with the social inhibition subscale (r = 0.41, p < 0.01) and smaller correlation coefficients with the Couple Satisfaction Index (r = -0.16, p < 0.05), indicating both convergent and discriminant validity. The invariant test results support scalar invariance levels based on gender and age but only partial invariance for education. The Chinese version of the CSI demonstrated high consistency, with McDonald's omega coefficients ranging between 0.86 and 0.95. (4) Conclusions: The bifactor model of the Chinese version of the CSI is validated, making it a suitable tool for measuring depression, anxiety, and somatization symptoms among parent(s) of children with autism spectrum disorders. Further research on other Chinese populations is encouraged.

Factors affecting parental role adaptation in parents of preterm infants after discharge: a cross-sectional study.

Parenting a preterm infant can be incredibly challenging and stressful, particularly in the first year after discharge. Desirable parental role adaptation leads to appropriate parenting behaviors and parent-infant interaction, which are essential to child health and development. To investigate the level of parental role adaptation and its influencing factors among parents of preterm infants in the first year after hospital discharge according to Belsky's parenting process model among parents of preterm infants in the first year after hospital discharge. A cross-sectional study design was adopted using convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Parental Role Adaptation Scale (PRAS) in parents with preterm infants, the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS), the Coping Adaptation Processing Scale (CAPS-15), and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, non-parametric tests, Spearman correlation analyses, and multivariate linear regression were used to analyze the data. In total, 300 Chinese parents were included in the analysis. In the multivariate analysis, first-time parent (p = 0.003), master's degree and above (p = 0.042), coping adaptation processing (p = 0.000), residence location (towns: p = 0.019, city: p = 0.028), monthly family income (6000-10,000: p = 0.000, >10,000: p = 0.000), and perceived social support (p = 0.001) were all significant predictors of parental role adaptation and collectively accounted for 56.8% of the variation in parental role adaptation of parents with preterm infants (F = 16.473, p < 0.001). Coping adaptation processing mediated the relationship between perceived social support and parental role adaptation (95% bootstrap CI = 0.022, 0.130). Chinese parents of preterm infants experience a moderate level of parental role adaptation when their child is discharged from the hospital to home. Parents who are not first-time parents, have master's degrees or above, live in towns or cities, have higher coping and adaptation abilities, have high monthly family income, and greater perceived social support have a higher level of parental role adaptation. Healthcare providers should pay more attention to parents with low socioeconomic status and encourage them to improve their coping and adaptation abilities and to utilize their formal and informal social support networks.

Uncovering the Challenges and Needs of Chinese Adoptive Parents in Hong Kong

ABSTRACTAdoptive parenting is a lifelong process. Adoptive parents face unique challenges at different stages of parenting, which require proper recognition, specialised support and sustained services. However, social stigma against infertility and adoption in Asian societies, including Hong Kong, has rendered the lived experiences of adoptive parents almost invisible. To address this knowledge gap, the current qualitative study drew on in‐depth interviews with 23 Chinese parents from 14 families (including nine couples, three wives, one single mother and one divorced mother) with school‐age adoptees aged 6–17. Adopting a biographical approach, we collected their experiences from their adoption decision to their current stage of parenting. Their narratives revealed that Chinese adoptive parents in Hong Kong, despite their resourcefulness and commitment, encounter challenges throughout the adoption process, including family misunderstandings, lack of adoption leave, struggles related to discipline, difficulties with adoptees with special learning needs and the prevalence of cultural devaluation. Our findings contribute to and have implications for research and adoption services and policies.

Psychometric evaluation of the Chinese version of the febrile convulsion knowledge scale for parents/caregivers: translation and validation study

BackgroundFever is one of the most common clinical symptoms of respiratory diseases in children. Once the child has a fever, parents and caregivers are mainly concerned that the child may have a febrile convulsion. A lack of cognitive ability not only leads to anxiety but also aggravates or delays the time of children’s medical treatment and even seriously affects the prognosis because of improper management of fever patients.Therefore, it is necessary to clarify the degree of mastery of knowledge related to febrile convulsions, implement targeted guidance and health education, and ensure that parents and caregivers receive correct and reasonable first aid treatment. The purpose of this study was to translate the Febrile Convulsion Knowledge Scale for Parents/Caregivers into Chinese and to verify its reliability and validity for Chinese parents and caregivers of children.MethodsThe Brislin traditional translation model was used to translate the Febrile Convulsion Knowledge Scale for Parents/Caregivers from English to Chinese, following authorization from the original author of the scale. This involved literal translation, back translation, and cultural adaptation. A convenience sampling method was used to select 402 parents and caregivers of children in the pediatric ward and pediatric infusion clinic of a Grade III hospital in Liaoning Province. The item analysis method was employed to assess item differentiation, while the Delphi method was used to analyze content validity. Scale reliability was evaluated through the calculation of internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to explore and verify the underlying factor structure and scale validity.ResultsThe Chinese version of the Febrile Convulsion Knowledge Scale for Parents/Caregivers consists of 3 dimensions and 8 items. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.828, with each dimension having coefficients of 0.806, 0.720, and 0.702. The split-half reliability and test-retest reliability were 0.716 and 0.790, respectively. The Chinese version has good reliability. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the Bartlett sphericity test was 394.52 (p < 0.001) and that the KMO value was 0.802 > 0.600, indicating suitability for factor analysis. Principal component analysis and orthogonal rotation of maximum variance were performed on the data, and items with a load greater than 0.40 within a single factor were selected for inclusion. The resulting three-factor structure explained 70.78% of the total variance. All model fitting indices were within the acceptable range, indicating the good structural validity of the Chinese version. The results of both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses support this conclusion.ConclusionsThe Chinese version of the Febrile Convulsion Knowledge Scale for Parents/Caregivers has good reliability and validity. It can be used as a tool for clinical pediatric nurses to evaluate the knowledge of parents and caregivers of children with febrile convulsion and provide the basis for the design and implementation of targeted training plans according to the results obtained from the Chinese scale.

Distance education and parents’ mental health: the role of resilience, parent-child communication and relationships

According to a UNESCO survey, 173 countries had closed schools and other educational facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. As online distance learning became a new normal in disruptive times, researchers began to examine its psychological impact on parents and children. Drawing on Buzzanell’s (2010, 2018) communication theory of resilience, this study examined the relationships between Chinese parents’ resilience, their attitudes toward distance learning, parent-child communication and relationship, and psychological wellbeing. Participants were 101 Chinese parents who had children that did distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings showed that parents’ resilience and attitudes toward distance learning had a positive, indirect effect on their psychological wellbeing through the mediation of parent-child communication and relationships. The study provides empirical support for the CTR theory as a fruitful lens for explaining family communication patterns and relationships, as well as psychological wellbeing during disruptive times. The study yielded important practical insights into how individuals can cope with the negative impact brought forth by unexpected and destructive events.

Father knows best? Chinese parents’ perceptions of their influence on child development

ABSTRACT This study investigates how Chinese parents’ narratives about the father’s and the mother’s influence on child development reveal their gender beliefs and socialization goals. Drawing on interviews of 62 father-mother pairs from a mixed-method longitudinal study in Nanjing, China, we found that contrary to the assumption that parents of both genders benefit children’s development in their respective, gender-typical ways in extant literature, our participants believed that mothers as executor of ‘trivial’ childrearing tasks provide few positive influences than fathers who steer the ‘broad’ directions of child development and cultivation of male traits. Parents emphasized the importance of instilling masculinity in both boys and girls, which differs from the valuation of mothers’ same-gender role modeling for daughters in Western-based studies. Yet underneath the father’s ‘masculine’ influences are concerns about children’s ability to meet increasingly rigid and narrow standards for masculinity in today’s China, which imposes pressure on mothers, fathers, and sons.