Maternal Life Satisfaction Research Articles

Maternal self-efficacy and life satisfaction among mothers of children on the autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and mothers of children with typical development

Background: The purpose of the present study is to examine the relationship between maternal self-efficacy and life satisfaction among mothers of children on the autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and mothers of children with typical development. The research hypotheses were about the relationship between the maternal self-efficacy and the satisfaction with life, and about the differences in the maternal self-efficacy and the satisfaction with life between the two groups of mothers. Subjects and Method: The sample consisted of 125 mothers, of which 61 were mothers of children with ASD and 64 were mothers of children with typical development. The mothers answered two online questionnaires: a life satisfaction questionnaire and a maternal self-efficacy questionnaire. Results: The research findings indicated a positive relationship between the maternal self-efficacy and the life satisfaction, so that mothers who reported a higher level of maternal self-efficacy showed higher satisfaction with their lives. Also, differences were found in the life satisfaction between the two groups of mothers: mothers of children with typical development reported a higher satisfaction with life. Contrary to expectations, no differences were found in the maternal self-efficacy between the two groups of mothers. Conclusion: The uniqueness of the study is in the examination of the experience of mothering children with ASD among mothers in Israel, in light of the scant research literature on this subject. In addition, the current study examines the relationship between two important areas: the maternal self-efficacy and the life satisfaction, a relationship about which there is little research both in the context of mothers in general and in the context of mothers of children with ASD in particular. The research findings also have an applied contribution - the findings may help multi-professional teams develop awareness of the experience of mothering a child with ASD, the need for support and accompaniment for mothers and collaborative work with them.

Daughter circumcision and maternal life satisfaction: a cultural moderation effect revealed across two multicountry studies

IntroductionThe present paper assessed the relationship between maternal life satisfaction (MLS) and the intergenerational transmission of female genital cutting (FGC, female circumcision). It was hypothesised that the association would be...

All in the family: The complementary protective roles of spousal and other family support for Chinese immigrant mothers' life satisfaction over time.

The demand-resources model of stress posits that parenting tasks and expectations of mothers that exceed their resources are likely to tax their psychological well-being. Social and instrumental support from spouse or family may help alleviate the negative effects of parenting stress on mothers' psychological well-being. However, parenting stress and its impact have been less studied among immigrant mothers. Moreover, the sources of family support (i.e., spousal and other family members) might interactively affect mothers' well-being in the face of parenting stress. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine whether support from the spouse and other family members jointly buffers against the long-term psychological effects of parenting stress on Chinese immigrant mothers' life satisfaction. Data were collected from 273 Chinese American mothers at two time points separated by 6 months. A three-way interaction was conducted to examine the complementary protective effect of perceived support mothers received from their spouses and their other family members combined. Results showed that after controlling for the covariates, parenting stress was only longitudinally associated with changes in maternal life satisfaction when support from both spouse and other family members was low. Our findings highlight the complementary protective effects of spousal support and nonspouse family members' support in alleviating parenting stress of mothers and its adverse impact on lowering mothers' life satisfaction 6 months later. Theoretical and applied implications of these findings are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Individual, family and neighbourhood factors related to life satisfaction and perceived discrimination among low-income, non-immigrant mothers in seven European countries

ABSTRACT We examined associations between dimensions of social exclusion and maternal life satisfaction and maternal perceived discrimination for low-income, non-immigrant mothers of children at preschool and primary school age in seven European countries (Czech Republic, England, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Portugal – N = 1227), using standardized survey data from a large-scale interview study. Life satisfaction and perceived discrimination were found to be associated, indicating that both dimensions are important to consider in relation to subjective well-being. The results of linear mixed effect regression models demonstrated that lack of resources in multiple dimensions of social exclusion were linked to our well-being measures, including objective life condition variables (material deprivation, poor neighbourhood quality; both outcomes) as well as more relational aspects (unemployment, less social support; life satisfaction) and adult literacy related difficulties (perceived discrimination). These findings reaffirm the importance of combatting social exclusion. There are implications for public policy, emphasizing the importance of joined-up policies that tackle different forms of exclusion.

Breastfeeding status and determinants of current breastfeeding of Syrian refugee children in Turkey

BackgroundTurkey hosts the highest number of refugees in the World including 65% of Syrian refugees who reside in Turkey. Mothers and children were the most negatively affected among the Syrian refugees who had to migrate from their countries as a result of the civil war in Syria. One of the most important issues in terms of child health is breastfeeding. Breastfeeding in migrants should be promoted worldwide to mitigate infant mortality and diseases. The aim of this study is to examine the association between breastfeeding status in Syrian refugee children under two years and socio-demographic characteristics of Syrian refugee mothers with further analysis of Turkey Demographic and Health Survey-Syrian Migrant-2018 (TDHS-SM-2018) data. MethodsThe data source is the TDHS-SM-2018. Data for the last-born children with a gestational duration greater than 32 weeks from the mothers’ singleton pregnancy, aged less than two years old and living with the mother were included (unweighted n = 744). The dependent variable was the breastfeeding status (breastfeeding in the last 24 h during the study period) in children under two years. Complex sample logistic regression evaluated the associations.ResultsThe percentage of breastfeeding in children under the age of two years was found to be 62.4%, and the total median breastfeeding duration was 14.6 months. Univariate analysis showed that the earlier mothers immigrated to Turkey, the higher the current breastfeeding rate. Breastfeeding rates were found to be higher among people living in the South and East regions (65.2% and 65.1% respectively). Multivariable binary complex sample logistic regression revealed that breastfeeding status at the study period was associated with long preceding birth interval; delivery in a public hospital; absence of prelacteal feeding; being non-pregnant; and the region and age of the child. No relationship for current breastfeeding was found with maternal activities, maternal life satisfaction, financial satisfaction, and educational status.ConclusionCurrent breastfeeding in our sample was more likely among mothers with a longer birth interval who avoided prelacteal feeding. The Baby-Friendly approach and family planning services should be integrated into refugee health centers.

Maternal Life Satisfaction and Child Development from Toddlerhood to Adolescence

Maternal Life Satisfaction and Child Development from Toddlerhood to Adolescence

Prenatal and Infancy Home Visiting in Germany: 7-Year Outcomes of a Randomized Trial.

Given the lasting positive effects of prenatal and infancy home visiting in the United States on disadvantaged mothers and children at school age, we analyzed the follow-up effects of a German home visiting program (ProKind). We hypothesized improvements in 3 domains at child age 7 years: (1) child development and life satisfaction, (2) maternal mental health and life satisfaction, and (3) adverse parenting, abusive parenting, and neglectful parenting. We conducted a randomized controlled trial of home visiting, enrolling 755 pregnant, low-income women with no previous live births. The intervention comprised 32.7 home visits by family midwives and/or social pedagogues until child age 2 years. Assessments were completed on 533 7-year-old firstborn offspring to evaluate 8 primary hypotheses. We found significant positive effects for 4 of the 8 primary hypotheses. Mothers in the intervention group reported fewer behavioral problems among their children in the Child Behavior Checklist (effect size [ES] = 0.21; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.03 to 0.38), less child abusive parenting (ES = 0.19; 95% CI: 0.00 to 0.37), fewer maternal mental health problems (ES = 0.25; 95% CI: 0.07 to 0.43), and higher maternal life satisfaction (ES = 0.25; 95% CI: 0.07 to 0.43). Additional preregistered subgroup analyses regarding child sex revealed larger effects for boys and mothers of boys. The results suggest that in a western European welfare state, home visiting targeting disadvantaged mothers has lasting effects in important outcome domains. Therefore, home visits also appear to be an effective and efficient public health intervention in European settings.

The Relationship Between Perceived Parental Attitude and Life Satisfaction Among University Students

Introduction. The effect of parental attitudes and behaviors in raising their children on the individual’s life has been the subject of numerous studies for many years. There is a strong correlation between parental attitudes and the child’s ability to be satisfied with life.
 The objective of the research was to determine the relationships between perceived parental attitudes (overprotection, rejection, emotional warmth) and life satisfaction among university students. We investigated whether parental attitudes play a role in predicting life satisfaction among university students, and what role they play.
 Materials and Methods. The study was conducted from June 2020 to September 2020. Data were collected using Google Forms. Each person consented to anonymously participate in the study and was informed about the objectives of the study being a descriptive one. The population of the study consisted of nursing students enrolled in the Faculty of Health Sciences. For this purpose, 220 students at the age of 20 to 30 years participated in the study. The assessment battery consisted of Student Demographic Form, the Short-Egna Minnen Beträffande Uppfostran (Own Memories of Upbringing), and the Life Satisfaction Scale.
 Results. There was a significant negative correlation between maternal rejection and life satisfaction among the students. Male students were more likely to perceive their fathers as being disapproving than female students did. These findings were discussed in line with the studies in the related literature.
 Conclusions. High life satisfaction is a variable that protects young people from risk factors. Therefore, a focus should be placed on increasing life satisfaction among students. Parental attitude is an effective factor for life satisfaction among students. For this reason, it can be said that it would be beneficial to inform families about appropriate parental attitudes to increase their children’s life satisfaction.

The influence of paternal and maternal parenting styles on adolescents’ regulatory focus: A longitudinal study

To strengthen the evidence for the developmental assumption of regulatory focus theory, that individuals’ chronic self-regulatory orientations root in parenting behaviors, the present study investigated the influences of maternal and paternal parenting styles on Chinese adolescents’ regulatory focus and the effects of regulatory focus on mental health using an 8-month longitudinal design. 466 Chinese middle and high school students completed the regulatory focus, perceived maternal and paternal parenting style, life satisfaction, and positive and negative social adjustment measures. The results showed that: (1) Adolescents’ promotion focus positively predicted life satisfaction and positive social adjustment and negatively predicted negative social adjustment. Prevention focus positively predicted negative social adjustment. (2) Maternal emotional warmth positively predicted promotion focus, whereas paternal harsh discipline positively predicted prevention focus. (3) Promotion focus mediated the relationship between maternal emotional warmth and life satisfaction and positive and negative social adjustment. Prevention focus mediated the relationship between paternal harsh discipline and negative social adjustment.

Maternal Psychological and Biological Factors Associated to Gestational Complications.

Early detection of gestational complications is a priority in obstetrics. In our social context, this is linked to maternity age. Most studies are focused on biological factors. However, pregnancy is also influenced by social and psychological factors, which have not been deeply explored. We aimed to identify biopsychosocial risk and protective factors associated with the development of maternal and fetal complications. We enrolled 182 healthy pregnant women, and plasma melatonin and cortisol levels were measured in the first trimester by chemiluminescent immunoassays. At different time points along gestation, women answered several questionnaires (positive and negative affect schedule, hospital anxiety and depression scale, pregnancy concerns scale, life orientation test, resilience scale, life satisfaction scale and life–work conflicts scale). They were followed up until delivery and categorized as normal pregnancy, maternal or fetal complications. Maternal complications were associated with low melatonin (OR = 0.99 [0.98; 1.00]; p-value = 0.08) and life satisfaction (OR = 0.64 [0.41; 0.93]; p-value = 0.03) and fetal complications were associated with high cortisol (OR = 1.06 [1.02; 1.13]; p-value = 0.04), anxiety (OR = 2.21 [1.10; 4.55]; p-value = 0.03) and life–work conflicts (OR = 1.92 [1.04; 3.75]; p-value = 0.05). We conclude that psychological factors influence pregnancy outcomes in association with melatonin and cortisol alterations. High maternal melatonin and life satisfaction levels could be potential protective factors against the development of maternal complications during pregnancy. Low anxiety and cortisol levels and reduced work–life conflicts could prevent fetal complications.

Authentic Parental Competence, Awareness of Educational Community, and Life Satisfaction in Mothers with Young Children in Korea

Objectives The study aimed to examine the effect of authentic parental competence and parental awareness of educational community on mothers’ life satisfaction and the magnitude of the direct and indirect effects of those variables. Given the increasing interest in parental life satisfaction, emphasis on parental involvement to educational community and its connection to the competence as a parent, there is much need to investigate the relationship among these in order to achieve a happy family via happy parents, the fundamental and ultimate goal of a society. Methods A non-clinical sample of 276 mothers of early childhood children in metropolitan areas of Korea completed Likert questionnaires. The age of participants ranged from 25 to 47 years, and the majority of participants were middle-class. Results In addition to the positive correlations among the variables, regression analyses indicated that authentic parental competence predicted maternal life satisfaction directly and indirectly via awareness of educational community. Conclusion Life satisfaction of mothers of young children is not only directly affected by authentic parental competence, but also indirectly through the extent of how they aware their children’s education institutions as educational communities. This suggests the necessity to enhance awareness of early childhood education community as well as authentic parental competence in order to improve life satisfaction of mothers. Therefore, in early childhood education institutions and local communities it is required to implement parent education programs in order to increase authentic parental competence beyond parenting capability, and to make efforts together in establishing early childhood education institutions as educational community. Keywords: authentic parental competence, awareness of educational community, life satisfaction, mothers, early childhood

Maternal Psychological Well-Being and Offspring’s Outcomes in Peru: A Quantitative Analysis

This paper examines the relationship between maternal psychological well-being and specific outcomes amongst children and adolescents in Peru. First, it assesses the impacts of maternal depression and life satisfaction on health and life satisfaction of children. Then, it evaluates the impacts of maternal psychological well-being on adolescent risk behavior. Prior research focuses predominately on effects in developed country contexts, but this paper aims to shed light on the impacts in an impoverished setting. Using panel data from the Young Lives Survey, the author finds that children’s self-reported life satisfaction and health positively associate with maternal life satisfaction and negatively associate with maternal depression. Furthermore, maternal life satisfaction predicts whether female adolescents smoke, while maternal depression predicts smoking and misinformation on pregnancy amongst males. The findings suggest that maternal depression and life satisfaction both affect reported health, happiness, and risk behaviors in offspring.

Linking Maternal Caregiving Burden to Maternal and Child Adjustment: Testing Maternal Coping Strategies as Mediators and Moderators

This study examined the links between maternal caregiving burden and maternal and child adjustment, and whether these links were mediated and moderated by maternal coping strategies. Cross-sectional data were collected from 173 Chinese families with kindergarten aged children with special needs in Hong Kong, China (mean age = 61.53 months; 72% of them were boys). Using questionnaires, mothers rated their caregiving burden, use of different coping strategies, and the adjustment of themselves and their children with special needs. Results demonstrated that maternal caregiving burden was negatively associated with maternal and child adjustment. Moreover, the associations of maternal caregiving burden with maternal life satisfaction and depression were partially mediated by maternal planful problem solving, positive reappraisal, and seeking emotional support, whereas the association between maternal caregiving burden and child prosocial behaviors was partially mediated by maternal positive reappraisal. There was little evidence, however, for the moderating effects of maternal coping strategies. Theoretically, our findings highlighted the role of parental coping in understanding the mechanism through which parental caregiving burden may affect the adjustment of both parents and their children. Practically, our findings pointed to the utility of supporting parents of children with special needs by reducing their caregiving burden and increasing their use of specific coping strategies.

Developmental trajectories of behaviour problems and prosocial behaviours of children with intellectual disabilities in a population-based cohort.

The study examined developmental trajectories of prosocial behaviours, internalising and externalising behaviour problems in children with intellectual disabilities (ID) between pre-school and middle childhood. Growth models examined the best-fitting trajectories for internalising and externalising behaviour problems, as well as prosocial behaviours, in 555 children with ID between the ages of three and 11years from the UK Millennium Cohort Study. Models were also fitted to examine the association of child outcomes with time-varying maternal psychological distress and life satisfaction. Finally, models were extended to compare trajectories with typically developing children. Externalising behaviour problems and prosocial behaviours generally improved, whereas internalising problems did not change systematically over time. A cubic trend indicated a slowing down of improvement between ages 5 and 7 for prosocial behaviours and externalising problems. Maternal psychological distress positively co-varied with internalising and externalising behaviour problems over time. Life satisfaction was not related to changes in child behaviours over time. Compared to behavioural trajectories in typical development, intercepts were worse and trajectories also differed in the ID group. Over an 8-year period, externalising behaviour problems and prosocial behaviours of children with ID tended to improve. These behavioural improvements slowed between five and seven years, possibly coinciding with school-related environmental changes. Children with ID significantly differ from children with typical development in both the initial level of difficulties (exhibiting higher externalising and internalising behaviours, and lower prosocial behaviours) and subsequent development as they age, showing comparatively lower decreases in both externalising and internalising behaviours, and lower increases in prosocial behaviours. Findings also highlight the significant role of maternal mental health problems in the trajectory of child behaviour problems.

The Impact of Publicly Funded Childcare on Parental Well-Being: Evidence from Cut-Off Rules.

As more and more countries consider expanding public childcare provision, it is important to have a comprehensive understanding of its implications for families. This article adds to the existing literature by investigating the effect of publicly funded childcare on parental subjective well-being. To establish causality, I exploit cut-off rules introduced following the implementation of a legal claim to childcare in Germany. The results suggest that childcare provision strongly increases the life satisfaction of mothers who were previously constrained by the lack of childcare supply. The effect is more pronounced for mothers with higher labour market attachment. The coefficients for fathers are smaller and not statistically significant. As potential mechanisms, a wide range of time-use and labour market outcomes are explored. This shows that mothers indeed shift time from non-market activities to formal work in response to childcare eligibility, resulting in direct and indirect pecuniary and non-pecuniary returns to maternal life satisfaction. The findings shed light on key issues of work-family reconciliation and stress the importance of considering subjective well-being measures in family policy evaluations.

Paternal Support and Involvement in Unmarried Fragile Families: Impacts on Long-Term Maternal Mental Health.

Fragile families are defined as those that include unmarried or romantically unstable parents who have children and are socioeconomically disadvantaged. Mothers in fragile families may experience risk factors that lead to increased depressive symptoms that inhibit their ability to bounce back after stressful events. Risk factors for poorer maternal mental health may include declines in father involvement and a lack of coparenting support. This study examined the connected nature of coparenting and father involvement over time among continuously unmarried mothers from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. A bidirectional latent growth curve analysis demonstrated that early father involvement was associated with a more gradual decline in coparenting support over the child's first 5years, while early coparenting support also predicted a slower decline in father involvement over time. Steeper declines in coparenting support and father involvement over time were linked with more maternal depression and lower maternal life satisfaction when their child was nine. Results demonstrate a clear need for targeted intervention with both parents in fragile families to promote involved fathering behavior and enhance coparental relationships.

Parental Control and Adolescent Wellbeing in Chinese Adolescents in Hong Kong

Based on the responses of 2369 Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong (mean age = 14.2; 48.5% girls), the interaction effects of parental behavioral control and psychological control on adolescent wellbeing (indexed by life satisfaction and hopelessness) were examined. Results indicated that the interaction of paternal behavioral control and paternal psychological control was associated with adolescent life satisfaction. Paternal behavioral control had a stronger impact on adolescent life satisfaction when paternal psychological control was at a higher level than at a lower level. While the relationship between maternal behavioral control and life satisfaction was stronger for boys than for girls, maternal psychological control was negatively related to life satisfaction for girls but not for boys. Regarding adolescent hopelessness, both paternal and maternal psychological control moderated the relationship between paternal behavioral control and adolescent hopelessness. The relationships between paternal behavioral control and adolescent hopelessness were negative when either paternal or maternal psychological control was at lower levels, but the relationships became non-significant when parental psychological control was at higher levels. The study implies that there are interaction effects of parental behavioral control and psychological control on well-being among Chinese adolescents, which provides important insights on the development of the family socialization model.

When Life Happens: Investigating Short and Long-Term Effects of Life Stressors on Life Satisfaction in a Large Sample of Norwegian Mothers

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of major life stressors on the short and long-term life satisfaction (LS) of Norwegian mothers using data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort study (MoBa, N = 46,342). Data on LS were collected at T1 (6 months postpartum) and T3 (36 months postpartum), and data on life stressors at T2 (18 months postpartum) and T3. Altogether, 24,216 participants reported life stressors between T1 and T2, and 25,284 between T2 and T3. Life stressors had significant negative short-term and long-term effects on LS. Experiencing multiple stressors increased the negative impact on satisfaction linearly. Relationship dissolution, economic problems, becoming seriously ill, and conflict with family/friends most strongly predicted short-term LS (Cohen’s d − .18 to − 1.15). Being pressured to sexual acts, relationship dissolution, economic problems and becoming seriously ill most strongly predicted long-term LS (Cohen’s d − .15 to − 1.05). When calculating the overall societal burden of life stressors, economic problems, conflict with family/friends, and work-related problems were shown to be particularly detrimental to maternal life satisfaction.

Examining the Relationship between Life Satisfaction, Smartphone Addiction, and Maternal Parenting Behavior: A South Korean Example of Mothers with Infants

This study examined the relationship between maternal life satisfaction, smartphone addiction, and parenting behavior in order to protect and promote sustainable well-being of mothers as well as children throughout their lifetimes and quality of life in the family system. Self-report questionnaires were used on 328 Korean mothers with children aged 3 to 5 years. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. Results revealed that maternal life satisfaction had a significant and direct influence on parenting behavior, and its indirect influence on parenting behavior was mediated by smartphone addiction tendency. The findings confirm that a mother’s psychological well-being (life satisfaction) and smartphone addiction tendency are preceding factors for positive maternal parenting behavior. Significant attention must be paid to parents’ psychological well-being to promote children’s healthy development from very early on in life.

Motherhood, Employment, and Life Satisfaction: Trends in Germany Between 1984 and 2015

ObjectiveThis article analyzes trends in the relationships among motherhood, employment, and life satisfaction in Germany and regresses them on changing motherhood norms.BackgroundMotherhood norms have changed in recent decades in Germany, and differences in labor force participation between mothers and women without children have decreased. We research whether differences in life satisfaction have decreased at the same time.MethodAnalyses are based on the German Socio‐Economic Panel (1984–2015) and restricted to women aged 16 to 45 (N = 18,238). A series of hybrid panel regressions was used to determine intrapersonal and interpersonal motherhood and employment effects on life satisfaction over decades. Polynomial regressions were used to relate these effects to changing motherhood norms.ResultsThe negative effects of motherhood on life satisfaction are less prevalent today than they were in the past. The interpersonal maternal happiness gap has disappeared, and the intrapersonal motherhood effect on life satisfaction has increased during the past decades.ConclusionAs restrictive social norms for maternal employment have lost ground, the transition to motherhood has become increasingly conducive to life satisfaction for both working and nonworking mothers.ImplicationNormative and public support of women's freedom to choose among different motherhood roles is key to reducing financial and time pressures of mothers and thereby increasing maternal life satisfaction. Further support is needed for mothers without partners or jobs.