Parental Life Satisfaction Research Articles

Life satisfaction and parental support among secondary school students in Urumqi: the mediation of physical activity.

This study is aimed to analyze the relationship between parental support, physical activity and life satisfaction among secondary school students in Urumqi city, and also to explore the mediating role of physical activity in the relationship between life satisfaction and parental support among secondary school students. A questionnaire survey was conducted from December 2021 to January 2022, using a stratified whole-group random sampling method among 2,474 secondary school students aged 11-18 years in Urumqi city, including a general demographic questionnaire, a Chinese version of the Child and Adolescent Physical Activity Questionnaire, Chinese version of the Child and Adolescent Parental Support Scale, and the Multidimensional Student Life Satisfaction Scale. The Bootstrap mediating effect test was used to test the effect relationship between the variables, and Amos was adopted to analyze the mediating effect of physical activity between secondary school students' life satisfaction and parental support. Secondary school students scored (33.22 ± 5.68) on life satisfaction, (2.11 ± 0.64) on physical activity, (24.85 ± 4.31) on the mother's roll and (24.73 ± 4.40) on the father's roll. Maternal support was a significant direct predictor of life satisfaction (β=0.303, t=11.893, P<0.01). Maternal support was a positive predictor of physical activity (β=0.027, t = 9.332, P<0.01). And the physical activity was a positive predictor of life satisfaction (β=1.362, t = 7.665, P < 0.01). Paternal support was a significant direct predictor of life satisfaction (β=0.334, t = 13.448, P < 0.01). Paternal support was a positive predictor of physical activity (β=0.030, t = 10.665, P < 0.01). Physical activity was a positive predictor of life satisfaction (β=1.264, t = 7.119, P<0.01). Physical activity had a mediating effect between life satisfaction and parental support (effect values: 11.88% in maternal support and 11.38% in paternal support, respectively). The supportive parental environment of secondary school students in Urumqi can directly influence their life satisfaction and also indirectly influence their life satisfaction by enhancing their physical activity level, and parental support for physical activity of secondary school students should be enhanced to promote their life satisfaction level.

The Role of Parenthood for Life Satisfaction of Older Women and Men in Europe

Previous research has widely addressed the gap in well-being between parents and childless individuals. While cross-sectional studies have regularly reported lower levels of well-being for parents, recent longitudinal studies suggest a short-term positive effect with a back-to-baseline adaptation. Whether, why, and how parenthood may affect well-being in older age is, however, still largely unclear. In this paper, a holistic view of well-being developments across the process of aging is combined with a transition-centered, gender sensitive approach to analyze the effects of health decline on the self-reported life satisfaction of parents and childless individuals. Life satisfaction in older age is hypothesized to be influenced by the onset of and coping with health limitations, which themselves may differ by parental status and gender. Using group-specific growth curve analysis based on data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and accounting for selection into parenthood, we demonstrate how the life satisfaction of men and women evolves in the later life depending on parental status. Results show that from age 50 onwards, parents’ life satisfaction develops somewhat less favorably compared to that of childless individuals, but this difference is not significant. However, fathers' health evolves more favorably while they react less negatively to health limitations than childless men. Our results thus suggest that children are a source of social control with long-term positive effects on health and a coping resource in the face of health limitations for fathers but not for mothers.

The Relation Between Helicopter Parenting and Satisfaction with Life in Emerging Adults Living with Their Parents: The Moderating Role of Gender and Age Group

Objective. Over the last couple of decades, a trend of emerging adults living with parents has been rising. However, little is known about the developmental specificities and impact of parenting practices in this context. The objectives of this study were: to compare the levels of helicopter parenting and the levels of life satisfaction by gender (men versus women) and by age group (late adolescents versus young adults); to analyze the relationship between helicopter parenting, life satisfaction levels and age; and to investigate the moderating role of gender and age group in the relationship between helicopter parenting and life satisfaction.Materials and Methods. Self-report questionnaires were administered to a sample of 173 emerging adults (aged 18-29) living with their parents in Portugal. In order to examine differences in helicopter parenting and levels of life satisfaction, Student’s ttest was performed for independent samples. To analyze the association between helicopter parenting, life satisfaction and age, Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated. To detect possible interaction effects, regression-based analyses were performed; the SPSS macro PROCESS was used to optimize this procedure.Results. Life satisfaction levels differed according to age group, with late adolescents reporting higher levels of life satisfaction than young adults. Helicopter parenting was negatively correlated with life satisfaction, and life satisfaction was negatively correlated with age. The developmental variables of gender and age group moderated the association between helicopter parenting and life satisfaction.Conclusions. Interventions with emerging adults that aim to prevent the negative effects of helicopter parenting and increase life satisfaction must account for the developmental specificities associated with gender roles and different age groups.Key Words: Emerging Adulthood ■ Cohabitation ■ Helicopter Parenting ■ Life Satisfaction

Parental Autonomy Support and Mental Health among Chinese Adolescents and Emerging Adults: The Mediating Role of Self-Esteem.

Guided by the dual-factor model and self-determination theory, this study explored the relationship between parental autonomy support and mental health (i.e., life satisfaction and emotional problems) in adolescents and emerging adults, with a focus on the mediating role of self-esteem. We conducted two studies among independent samples in China, including 1617 adolescents aged 10 to 17 years (Mage =12.79, SD = 1.63; 50.7% girls; Study 1) and 1274 emerging adults aged 17 to 26 years (Mage = 20.31, SD = 1.63; 56.6% women; Study 2). All participants completed a set of self-reported questionnaires. The results of both studies validated our hypothesis; specifically, parental autonomy support was positively associated with life satisfaction, but negatively associated with emotional problems (emotional symptoms in Study 1 and depressive symptoms in Study 2). Meanwhile, self-esteem partially mediated the positive relationship between parental autonomy support and life satisfaction (R2 = 0.33 in Study 1; R2 = 0.38 in Study 2), and partially mediated the negative relationship between parental autonomy support and emotional problems (R2 = 0.16 in Study 1; R2 = 0.42 in Study 2). In summary, this suggests that the common antecedents of positive and negative indicators of mental health addressed in this study are prevalent in adolescents and emerging adults. These findings have important implications for preventive and interventional efforts aimed at mental health problems in both demographics.

The Effects of Gender Role Attitude, Time Used for Childcare and Cultural/Leisure Activities on Life Satisfaction of 30s and 40s Parents in Their Child Rearing Stage: The Aspects of Time Use

The Effects of Gender Role Attitude, Time Used for Childcare and Cultural/Leisure Activities on Life Satisfaction of 30s and 40s Parents in Their Child Rearing Stage: The Aspects of Time Use

청소년기 학업 중단을 경험한 청년의 부모애착과 삶의 만족의 관계에서 사회적 낙인감과 자아탄력성의 이중매개효과

Objectives This study derived ways to improve the life satisfaction of young adults who experienced stigma as out-of-school youth by investigating the mediating effects of social stigma and ego-resiliency on the relationship between parental attachment and life satisfaction perceived by young adults who dropped out of school during adolescence. Methods To this end, data from the panel survey for drop-out adolescents of the fifth year (2018) conducted by National Youth Policy Institute were used. A dual mediation analysis was performed on the data collected from 315 young adults aged between 24 to 29 years old using the PROCESS Macro program. Results Analysis revealed that the mediating effect of ego-resiliency on the relationship between parental attachment and life satisfaction was not significant. However, the path in which parental attachment effects life satisfaction through social stigma and that in which it effects life satisfaction via social stigma and ego-resiliency in sequence were significant. Conclusions These results suggest that improving the quality of interactions with parents is useful in improving an individual's internalized stigma. It indicates that work that promotes ego-resilience contributes to increase life satisfaction reduced by social stigma.

코로나19 시기 영유아 자녀를 둔 맞벌이 부모와 외벌이 부모의 가족 건강성과 삶의 만족도 관계 비교

Objectives This study was conducted to compare the relationship between family health and life satisfaction of dual-income parents and single-income parents with young children during the COVID-19 period. Methods To this end, data on family health and life satisfaction were collected for parents with 295 infants and children, t-test was conducted to analyze the average difference between groups according to dual-income and single-income parents, and multiple regression analysis was conducted to find out the influence relationship between sub-variables of family health on life satisfaction. Results First, the results of this study showed that there was no significant difference in family health and life satisfaction between double-income parents and single-income parents with young children. Second, it was found that both double-income and single-income parents had a positive correlation at a significant level with family resilience, mutual respect and acceptance, qualitative bonds, and life satisfaction, which are sub-variables of family health. Third, among the sub-factors of family health in dual-income parents, mutual respect, acceptance, and qualitative bond were found to have a significant positive effect on life satisfaction, and in the case of single-income parents, only family resilience was found to have an effect on life satisfaction. Conclusions Based on the results of this study, a plan was proposed to improve the life satisfaction of parents with infants and toddlers during the COVID-19 period.&#x0D;

The post-separation well-being of children and parents. What roles do physical custody arrangements and stepparents play?

ABSTRACT This study investigated the relationships between different types of post-separation families (physical custody arrangements x stepfamily status) and parents’ and children’s well-being. Using data from waves 3–12 of the German Family Panel, random- and fixed-effects regression models were estimated for two analytical samples of 1,199 resident parents and 1,129 children aged 7–17. No statistically significant relationships between physical custody arrangements and parents’ depressiveness and life satisfaction were found, but living with a partner was shown to be positively related to parental life satisfaction. Neither physical custody arrangements nor stepfamily status were related to children’s mental and physical health.

Living up to Parental Expectations, Psychological Separation, and Life Satisfaction

This study examined the relationship between living up to parental expectations (LPE) and life satisfaction as well as the moderating effect of psychological separation on this relationship among South Korean college students. The participants ( N = 343) completed an online survey measuring the study variables. We divided psychological separation into conflictual independence (CI) and general independence (GI) and performed multiple regression analysis. The results revealed a positive association between LPE and life satisfaction. Our analysis also indicated that GI moderated the relationship between LPE and life satisfaction. Specifically, the positive association between LPE and life satisfaction was significant for participants with lower levels of GI. We discussed the significance of these findings and explained their implications for counseling settings in terms of cultural considerations.

How Does Family Intergenerational Relationships Affect the Life Satisfaction of Middle-Aged and Elderly Parents in Urban Only-Child Families in Chengdu, China.

Over the past 40 years, the implementation of the family planning policy in China has led to the creation of many only-child families. In the process of modernization and urbanization, it is critical to focus on the intergenerational relationships in only-child families and their associational mechanism on the life satisfaction of middle-aged and elderly parents, which has crucial implications for them staying active and healthy aging. Using the survey data from Chengdu, China, this study analyzed the characteristics of only-child parents’ life satisfaction and family intergenerational relationships, and explored the associational mechanism of family intergenerational relationships on only-child parents’ life satisfaction in urban families, as well as the possible moderating role of gender. The results indicate that there are gender differences in the life satisfaction of only-child parents in urban families, and men are more satisfied than women. Moreover, parents of sons and daughters differ in life satisfaction from the dual-gender perspective. Parents of daughters are likely to have higher life satisfaction, especially mothers. The only-child families have not moved toward nucleation in urban families, and intergenerational members maintain close contact and provide frequent mutual support to achieve individual and family development. There are significant gender differences in structural, associational, affectual, and functional solidarity among only-child. This study confirms that there are differences in the associational mechanism of family intergenerational relationships on life satisfaction in different dimensions. Affectual solidarity is the most influential factor of life satisfaction. In terms of normative and consensual solidarity, gender plays a moderating role. For men, normative and consensual solidarity is beneficial for improving life satisfaction, but it has an insignificant effect on women. The effects of structural solidarity, association solidarity, and functional solidarity are not significant.

Parental stress and life satisfaction: A comparative study of social services users and nonusers from a gender perspective.

The psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Parental Stress Scale (PSS) scale have not been verified on the Spanish population. Similarly, the literature on gender differences and parental stress is inconclusive, and there is little evidence of their relationship with life satisfaction. To analyze the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the PSS scale, (2) to examine possible gender differences, and (3) to study the relationship between parental stress (PS) and parental rewards (PR) and satisfaction with life (SWL) attending to the possible moderating effect of gender. These objectives were examined in samples comprising Social Services Users (SSU) (N = 525; 78.3% female; Mage = 38.3) and non-SSU users (N = 421; 41.1% male; Mage = 37.08). A CFA corroborated a two-factor structure: PS and PR. In the SSU sample, mothers showed higher PS and lower PR. However, PR was also higher in mothers from the non-SSU sample compared to fathers. PR and PS were directly related to SWL in the SSU sample. However, gender moderated the relationship between PR and SWL in the non-SSU sample in the case of mothers. The results are discussed considering gender roles and the characteristics of both samples.

Parenthood and Life Satisfaction in Stratified Labor Market: Evidence From Korea.

This study analyzes the effect of parenthood on life satisfaction with a stratified labor market using the Korean Labor and Income Study. For regular female workers at large companies, the decrease in life satisfaction due to parenthood is higher compared to that for men in a similar position due to the high opportunity cost of a career break following childbirth. For men who are non-regular employees at Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the effect of parenthood on life satisfaction is negative because they are the income earners of the family but earn a relatively low income at SMEs. Based on the results, the job characteristics of a stratified labor market have a significant influence on life satisfaction regarding parenthood. To enhance parental life satisfaction and raise the fertility rate, the structure of the stratified labor market needs to be changed so that the labor market becomes more flexible and includes a solid social safety net.

How Chinese children's filial piety beliefs affect their parents’ life satisfaction and loneliness

Filial piety (or xiao) is a unique Chinese culture that affects older adults' life satisfaction and loneliness. Guided by the dual filial piety model and socioemotional selectivity theory, this study explores how adult children's filial piety beliefs affect their parent's life satisfaction and loneliness. A total of 350 pairs of parent-child data were collected through a parent-child pair design. Results show that emotional support provided by adult children and emotional support perceived by parents (i.e., the transmission of emotional support) fully mediated the relationship between children's reciprocal filial piety belief and parents' life satisfaction and loneliness, and partially mediated the relationship between children's authoritarian filial piety belief and parents' life satisfaction and loneliness. However, instrumental support provided by adult children and instrumental support perceived by parents (i.e., the transmission of instrumental support) had no such mediating roles in the relationship between adult children's filial piety beliefs and parents' life satisfaction and loneliness. This finding suggests that to improve parental well-being, adult Chinese children should cultivate their filial piety and pay close attention to their parents' emotional needs.

부모의 긍정적 양육태도가 중학생의 학업열의에 미치는 영향

Objectives The purposes of this study were to analyze the structural relationshiips among positive parenting attitude, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and academic engagement of middle school students and to investigate the mediating effect of self-esteem and life satisfaction on the relationship between positive parenting attitude and middle school students’ academic engagement.&#x0D; Methods For the purpose of this study, the data of the 2nd year of the 2018 Korean Children and Youths Panel Survey was used. The structural model was verified using SPSS 23.0 and AMOS 23.0. The χ2value, CFI, TLI, RMSEA values were reviewed to verify the fit of the structural model. In addition, the bootstrapping procedure was performed to confirm the mediating effect.&#x0D; Results The results are as follows. First, there was a positive correlation between positive parenting attitude, middle school students’ self-esteem, life satisfaction, and academic engagement. Second, self-esteem mediated between positive parenting attitude and middle school students’ academic engagement. Third, life satisfaction mediated betweenpositive parenting attitude and middle school students’ academic engagement. Forth, self-esteem double-mediated between positive parenting attitude and academic engagement via life satisfaction.&#x0D; Conclusions The results of this study suggest that positive parenting attitudes are required in order to improve academic engagement during the middle school years when the academic burden is experienced as stress, and it is also necessary to pay attention to middle school students self-esteem and life satisfaction.

Downward educational mobility and the life satisfaction of adolescents and parents

AbstractObjectiveThis study examines whether parental and adolescent life satisfaction is lower when adolescents are on a lower educational trajectory than their parents, and whether this association is mediated by the quality of the parent–adolescent relationship.BackgroundExisting literature shows that families seek to ensure status maintenance and to avoid downward educational mobility in their children. Little is known, however, about whether downward educational mobility has negative consequences for adolescents' and their parents' well‐being.MethodUsing data on 3781 16‐year‐old adolescents and their parents from the German Socio‐Economic Panel (SOEP), this study examined associations between downward educational mobility, parent–adolescent relationship quality, and the life satisfaction of adolescents and their parents.ResultsIn families with two college‐educated parents, risks of downward educational mobility were associated with increased parent–child conflicts and quarrels over school issues as well as with lower life satisfaction in parents and adolescents.ConclusionAdolescents and parents report reduced levels of life satisfaction when adolescents are on a lower educational trajectory than their parents, probably because the risk of declining status across generations negatively affects the psychological well‐being of parents and adolescents.ImplicationsProviders of family services should consider that the psychological effects of low educational achievement in adolescents vary depending on parental levels of education.

Parental Illness and Life Satisfaction among Young People: A Cross-Sectional Study of the Importance of School Factors.

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between parental illness and life satisfaction among Danish adolescents and the potential modifying effect of positive school experiences. Moreover, we describe the use of student counsellor services among adolescents with and without ill parents. Methods: Data included 9565 adolescents primarily aged 13–19 years, who participated in the cross-sectional Well-being Despite Study. Multilevel logistic regression models including joint effect analyses were performed. Results: Parental illness was strongly associated with life satisfaction. Negative school experiences were more frequent among adolescents with ill parents and strongly associated with low life satisfaction for all students. However, joint effect analyses did not show effect modification by school-related variables. The odds ratio of having talked to a student counsellor was highest for adolescents with multiple ill parents, compared to no ill parents. Conclusions: Parental illness is a strong predictor of low life satisfaction among adolescents; the impact depends on number of ill parents, whether parental illness is physical or mental, and their level of impairment. Positive school experiences were less frequent in adolescents of ill parents and did not counteract the effect of parental illness on life satisfaction.

Validation of a quantitative measure for meaning in parenthood among Chinese mothers in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to validate the Meaning in Parenthood Questionnaire (MPQ) among Chinese mothers in Hong Kong. Based on the data collected from 854 Chinese mothers, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to examine the factor structure of the scale. The internal consistency reliability and construct validity of the scale were also examined. EFA yielded a twofold factor structure (i.e. presence of meaning and search for meaning in parenthood) with ten items, which was supported by the CFA and explained 62.1% of the total variance. The Cronbach’s alpha indicates a satisfactory reliability of MPQ-Presence and MPQ-Search subscales (i.e. .788 and .883, respectively). The construct validity of both MPQ-Presence and MPQ-Search subscales were established by their significant correlations with parental efficacy and life satisfaction. The MPQ as a reliable and valid scale can enable researchers and practitioners to measure meaning in parenthood.

Relation Between Social Support Received and Provided by Parents of Children, Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer and Stress Levels and Life and Family Satisfaction.

IntroductionThe present study aims at analysing how social support received and provided by parents of children, adolescents and young adults (AYA) diagnosed with cancer, as well as their sociodemographic and clinical variables, affect those parents’ stress levels and life and family satisfaction.Materials and MethodsA total of 112 parents of children and AYAs who had been diagnosed with cancer and who received treatment in Malaga participated in the study. In the study, participated all parents who voluntarily agreed to fulfil the questionnaire. The main inclusion criterion was that their child had cancer. Instruments used were Questionnaire on the Frequency of and Satisfaction with Social Support (QFSSS), Paediatric Inventory for Parents (PIP), Life Satisfaction Scale and Family Satisfaction Scale.ResultsIn the mean difference analyses, male parents showed 3.38 (SD = 0.56) in social support received and female parents showed M = 3.08 (SD = 0.72). Conversely, in social support provided, female parents showed 3.22 and male parents showed M = 3.55 (p = 0.020). Significant differences were also found in family satisfaction, where female parents (M = 3.64) feel more satisfied than male parents (M = 3.06; p = 0.027). Parents of children aged between 0 and 14 years (M = 3.06) feel more stress than those parents of children aged 15–21 (M = 2.61; p = 0.021). The correlation analysis shows that there is a negative and significant relation between stress levels experienced by parents when facing different situations related to the child’s disease and both types of support, received r = −0.411, p < 0.001 and provided r = −0.282, p < 0.01. There is also a positive and significant relation between life satisfaction and social support received r = 0.292, p < 0.01, and social support provided r = 0.409, p < 0.001. There is a positive and significant relation between family satisfaction and social support received r = 0.330, p < 0.01, in the same way as with social support provided r = 0.222, p < 0.05. The regression analysis related to stress levels of parents indicates that social support received predicts levels of stress significantly p < 0.001, with the variable of number of children being the one that showed to be significant p < 0.05. Social support provided showed the most significant results p = 0.001, meaning that social support provided increased life satisfaction. Social support received explains family satisfaction (p = 0.50), as it increases the family satisfaction of parents of children with cancer.DiscussionAnalysing social support received and provided, as well as sociodemographic and clinical variables, allowed us to broaden the knowledge on the effect social support has on stress levels, life satisfaction and family satisfaction in parents of children and AYAs diagnosed with cancer. This may have relevant practical implications for the design of interventions that would improve parents’ lives.

Parental Self-efficacy, Family Factors and Life Satisfaction of Married Women

Parental Self-efficacy, Family Factors and Life Satisfaction of Married Women

Spillover-crossover effects for satisfaction with food-related life in dual-earner parents with adolescent children

This study aimed to examine spillover and crossover associations between parents’ family support, work-life balance, and satisfaction with food-related life in dual-earner parents with adolescent children. The mediating role of work-life balance in these relationships was also explored. This is a cross-sectional study with mothers, fathers and adolescent children from Temuco, Chile as participants. The sample comprised 303 families of different-sex dual-earner parents with adolescent children (mean age 13.3, 51.5% female). The Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) was used to examine spillover (actor effects) and crossover (partner effects) associations between family members. Positive spillover effects were found for both parents (p &lt; 0.001). Crossover effects were found from fathers’ support and work-life balance, respectively, to mothers’ work-life balance and satisfaction with food-related life (p &lt; 0.001). No crossover effects were found between parents’ work-life balance and their children’s satisfaction with food-related life (p &gt; 0.1). Work-life balance had a complete mediating role between parents’ family support and satisfaction with food-related life in mothers (bias-corrected, 95%CI: -0.191; 0.093), and a partial role in fathers (bias-corrected, 95%CI: 0.007; 0.295). Spillover and crossover effects between parents’ family support and work-life balance in dual-earner parents are associated with increased satisfaction with food-related life. Interventions to promote food-related life satisfaction in dual-earner parents should address both the work and other life roles that these parents fulfill.