Parental Attitudes Research Articles

Parental psychosocial factors and children’s oral health-related quality of life: Data from a caries prevention study with phone-based support

BackgroundCaries burden in children disproportionately affects minority and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. Severe early childhood caries requiring general anesthesia (GA) is a significant concern, with high caries relapse rates in subsequent years.AimTo examine associations between parental psychosocial factors, children’s caries burden, and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), including group differences, following a phone-based parental support intervention for children treated under GA for severe Early Childhood Caries (ECC).MethodsData were collected during a randomized controlled trial examining a phone-based parental support program. Parental stress was assessed using the Swedish Parenthood Stress Questionnaire (SPSQ), dental fear was measured with the Corah Dental Anxiety Scale (CDAS), and dental attitudes were evaluated using the Dental Beliefs Survey (DBS-R). Children’s OHRQoL was assessed using the Parental-Caregivers Perception Questionnaire (P-CPQ) and the Family Impact Scale (FIS). The Total Observed Caries Experience index was used to calculate the child’s cumulative caries burden. Unadjusted analyses were performed using t-tests, with effect sizes calculated as Cohen’s d. A two-step path analysis examined how parental factors, intervention, and baseline caries influenced caries burden at a one-year follow-up, while also assessing caries burdens impact on children's well-being.ResultsAt the one-year follow-up, the intervention group demonstrated significantly improved OHRQoL with lower mean scores on the P-CPQ and FIS compared to the control group, indicating fewer oral health issues and less impact on family life. No statistical differences were found in parental stress, dental fears, or dental beliefs between groups. Path analysis identified baseline caries and treatment group as significant predictors of caries burden, while intervention group predicted better OHRQoL outcomes. The model explained 86.2% of caries burden variance and 12.9% of OHRQoL variance.ConclusionA phone-based parental support program significantly improved children’s OHRQoL, even with a higher caries burden in the intervention group at the one-year follow-up. Parental stress, dental fears, and attitudes showed no differences and did not predict caries burden. Preventing early childhood caries in high-risk groups remains challenging, highlighting the importance of preventive initiatives that empower parents and foster collaboration with key stakeholders to reduce severe ECC.Registered at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ Identifier: NCT02487043.

Effects of an intervention on immigrant parents' knowledge and attitudes toward their children's oral health: A cluster randomized trial in Norway.

There are no interventional studies on the oral health of immigrant children in Norway. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a culturally adapted oral health intervention for parental knowledge, attitude to oral hygiene, attitude to diet, and indulgence (permissiveness toward oral hygiene and sugar intake) concerning their children's oral health. A cluster randomized control trial, including immigrant parents of newborns, was conducted at seven health centers in Bergen (Norway) involving a 2-session one-to-one motivational interviews, toothbrushing demonstrations and pamphlets in the participants' native languages at baseline and after 6 months. Mean differences in outcome scores were assessed and compared between intervention and control groups using generalized linear mixed model. In an intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis (n=345), the estimated mean difference in parental attitude to diet and indulgence between the groups indicated more improvement in the control than in the intervention group in the adjusted models. For all outcomes within both groups, a slight positive change was observed in marginal mean scores from baseline to follow-up. The two culturally adapted intervention sessions had no impact on oral health-related knowledge, attitudes, and indulgence of immigrant parents. These findings suggest that more comprehensive interventions may be needed to improve parental knowledge and attitudes toward children's oral health. Trial Registration number: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05758454.

Adaptation of the Technoference in Parent-Child Relationships Scale into Turkish: Validity and Reliability Study

The present study aims to adapt the Technoference in Parent-Child Relationships Scale (TPCRS) to Turkish culture by conducting validity and reliability analyses. The study group consists of the parents of 445 children between the ages of 3 and 6 attending preschool in the Denizli province. Expert opinions were consulted for the language validity and content validity of the measurement tool. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to ensure the construct validity of the scale. As a result of the exploratory factor analysis, it was determined that the total variance explained was 40.89%, and the items were grouped under a single factor. The model fit indices obtained from the confirmatory factor analysis were calculated as x²/sd=1.828, RMSEA=.046, AGFI=.96, GFI=.97, CFI=.98, NFI=.96, and SRMR=.056. These values show that the scale gives acceptable and valid results. The Cronbach Alpha internal consistency coefficient of the Technoference in Parent-Child Relationships Scale was found to be .72. For criterion-related validity, the correlations between the TPCRS's Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire and the Parental Attitudes Towards Technology Use Scale were analyzed. In addition, item-total and test-retest correlation coefficients were calculated at three-week intervals. The analyses for criterion-related validity and test-retest correlations provided sufficient evidence for the validity of the scale. It was observed that the item-total correlation values of the TPCRS ranged between .41 and .50. The results of the study show that the Technoference in Parent-Child Relationships Scale is a valid and reliable measurement tool.

Maternal socialization and infant helping in Uganda and the United Kingdom.

Prosocial behavior, including instrumental helping, emerges early in development, but the role parental attitudes and practices take in shaping the emergence of early helping across different cultural contexts is not well understood. We took a longitudinal approach to investigate maternal socialization of early helping across two different cultural groups. Participants were mother-infant dyads from urban/suburban York, United Kingdom (43 infants: 21 females, 22 males) and the rural Masindi District, Uganda (39 infants: 22 females, 17 males). We examined cultural variations in mother's helping-related parenting practices toward 14- and 18-month-olds and infants' actual helping in experimental tasks at 18 months. We then asked whether maternal parenting practices and socialization goals predicted individual variation in infant helping. We found that U.K. mothers scaffolded infant helping using a larger range of strategies than Ugandan mothers, but expecting an infant to help was more common in Uganda than in the United Kingdom. Moreover, we found that the Ugandan infants were more likely and often quicker to help an adult in need than the U.K. infants. Finally, we found that maternal scaffolding behaviors positively predicted individual variation in infant helping at 18 months in the United Kingdom, but not in Uganda. By contrast, maternal alignment with relational socialization goals at 11 months positively predicted infant helping at 18 months in the Ugandan, but not in the U.K., sample. These results indicate that early instrumental helping behavior varies across societies and that maternal socialization goals and scaffolding behaviors can shape infant helping in culturally specific ways. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

A cross-sectional study of parental perspectives on children about COVID-19 and classification using machine learning models

Background and objectiveThis study delves into the parenting cognition perspectives on COVID-19 in children, exploring symptoms, transmission modes, and protective measures. It aims to correlate these perspectives with sociodemographic factors and employ advanced machine-learning techniques for comprehensive analysis.MethodData collection involved a semi-structured questionnaire covering parental knowledge and attitude on COVID-19 symptoms, transmission, protective measures, and government satisfaction. The analysis utilised the Generalised Linear Regression Model (GLM), K-Nearest Neighbours (KNN), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), Naive Bayes (NB), and AdaBoost (AB).ResultsThe study revealed an average knowledge score of 18.02 ± 2.9, with 43.2 and 52.9% of parents demonstrating excellent and good knowledge, respectively. News channels (85%) emerged as the primary information source. Commonly reported symptoms included cough (96.47%) and fever (95.6%). GLM analysis indicated lower awareness in rural areas (β = −0.137, p < 0.001), lower attitude scores in males compared to females (β = −0.64, p = 0.025), and a correlation between lower socioeconomic status and attitude scores (β = −0.048, p = 0.009). The SVM classifier achieved the highest performance (66.70%) in classification tasks.ConclusionThis study offers valuable insights into parental attitudes towards COVID-19 in children, highlighting symptom recognition, transmission awareness, and preventive practices. Correlating these insights with sociodemographic factors underscores the need for tailored educational initiatives, particularly in rural areas, and for addressing gender and socioeconomic disparities. The efficacy of advanced analytics, exemplified by the SVM classifier, underscores the potential for informed decision-making in public health communication and targeted interventions, ultimately empowering parents to safeguard their children’s well-being amidst the ongoing pandemic.

Sure they Gamble – But At Least They’re Not Being Bullied! A Survey of Parental Perspectives of Adolescent Gambling

Abstract There is almost no research on adolescent gambling from the perspective of parents, despite their important role in preventing adolescent engagement in potentially risky and harmful activities. This study used a quantitative online survey of 1,185 parents (69% mothers) of adolescents (aged 12 to 17 years) to examine parental attitudes and knowledge of adolescent gambling and adolescent exposure to parental gambling. Most parents disapproved of adolescents being exposed to gambling and that gambling was less concerning than other adolescent issues (e.g., bullying, drugs). Despite being concerned by gambling, parents reported that adolescent gambling was common and often gambled in the presence of their adolescent; particularly fathers. Fathers were also more likely to hold positive attitudes towards adolescent gambling, and reported higher levels of adolescent gambling and simulated gambling. These findings suggest that public health strategies to prevent adolescent gambling should build parental awareness of gambling and its risks and harms.

Growing up in a cage: challenges of outdoor play for urban children in a northern Bangladesh city

Growing up in a cage: challenges of outdoor play for urban children in a northern Bangladesh city

Toward positive parenting: Exploring the relationship between empathy and gratitude and parental attitudes

Background: Despite many studies on parental attitudes, the extent to which parents’ emotional resources of parents, such as empathy and gratitude, are associated with parental behaviours and attitudes towards children remains unclear. Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between the emotional disposition to being grateful and empathetic in parents and their positive parenting attitudes as emotional warmth, autonomy support, and democratic attitude. In addition, the relationship between empathy, gratitude, and negative attitudes such as punitive, permissive discipline and anxious intrusiveness was assessed. Methodology: A sample of 712 Polish parents of children aged between six months and twelve years completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, the Gratitude Resentment and Appreciation Test, and the Parental Behaviours and Dimensions Questionnaire. Results: The two proposed structural equation models (SEM) confirmed that empathy and gratitude are predictors of positive and negative parenting dimensions. In addition, gratitude plays a mediating role between different dimensions of empathy and parenting behaviours. Emotional empathy, personal distress and simple appreciation are the most significant factors for positive parental attitudes. Punitive and permissive attitudes are associated with empathy, but not with gratitude. In contrast, anxious intrusiveness is associated with both empathy and gratitude. Conclusions: These findings contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between parents’ emotional resources and their parental behaviours. The results suggest that parents should enhance the experience of empathy and gratitude in their daily lives, as these emotions strengthen positive parental behaviours and weaken negative parenting.

Parental influence on Coping Strategies in Youth in Situations of Interpersonal Conflict

The goal of the study was to explore ways in which family impacts the etiology of coping strategies in youth in situations of social conflict, with focus on the parental attitudes and their patterns of reacting to situations of social conflict. The Scale of Parental Attitudes (Skala Postaw Rodzicielskich) by M. Plopa, the Questionnaire for Coping Strategies in Parents in Situations of Social Conflict (Kwestionariusz strategii radzenia sobie rodziców w sytuacji konfliktu społecznego) by D. Borecka-Biernat, and the Questionnaire for Coping Strategies in Youth in Situations of Social Conflict (Kwestionariusz do badania strategii radzenia sobie młodzieży w sytuacji konfliktu społecznego) by D. Borecka-Biernat were the tools applied in the study. The empirical study was conducted in middle schools, on a sample of 893 adolescents (468 girls and 425 boys) aged 13 to 15. In the light of the conducted research, it has been concluded that destructive (aggressive, avoidant, submissive) mechanisms of coping with emotional tension in situations of social conflict are shaped by inappropriate parental attitudes characterized by emotional distance or emotional focus of the parents on the adolescent, lack of balanced emotional bond, and high expectations accompanied by excessive discipline and strictness. Among the family-related determinants of destructive coping strategies an important role is played by the patterns of destructive (aggressive, avoidant, and submissive) coping strategies in situation of social conflict presented to the adolescents by the parents. What is more, an analysis of the research material has indicated that appropriate parental attitudes, characterized by support, respect for the adolescent’s independence and their individuality equip the young person with a constructive (task-oriented) strategy that is efficient in overcoming situations of social conflict. It has been observed that a high level of the task-oriented strategy in parents in situations of social conflict causes an increase in the level of the task-oriented strategy in youth in situations of social conflict. It appears that the obtained information can serve as theoretical guidelines in designing parenting strategies that shape individuals capable of coping with conflict in a mature way.

Selected family determinants of the narcissistic style of behavior

Background. Although the narcissistic personality disorder is well-known in psychological literature, the issue of psychosocial determinants of the narcissistic behavioral style is still prone to do the research. So is in case of the study of the specific character of parental attitudes and traumatic experiences in the subjects’ childhood and adolescence.Objectives. The aim of the study was an analysis of the situation in the families of respondents with dominant characteristics of narcissistic personality, with a particular emphasis on the retrospective assessment of parental attitudes.Methodology. The group of 78 students with narcissistic behavioral style were selected for the study. The control group consisted of individuals who did not display this type of behavior. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorder Research SCID II (M.B. First, M. Gibbon, R. L. Spitzer., J.B.W. Williams, L. S. Benjamin, 2014), referring to narcissistic behaviors, was used along with a questionnaire of the authors’ own design which contained demographic details as well as information on the situation in the subject’s family of origin and traumatic experiences, if any, and The Questionnaire for Retrospective Parental Attitudes (KPR-Rocdeveloped by Mieczyslaw Plopa (2008).Results. The research demonstrated that parental attitudes, particularly of mothers who were found to be excessively demanding and inconsistent in interactions with their children, were of special relevance for the formation of the narcissistic personality style, whereas when it comes to fathers, it was primarily a lack of consistent behavior that was significant. It was also observed that the families of origin of individuals with this personality type often used violence and physical punishment, and often struggled with parents’ addictions. Conclusions. The research confirmed the significant influence of family interactions on the formation of narcissistic personality traits.

Investigation of the Effect of Parents' Moral Maturity on Child Raising Styles

Throughout their lives, people live with the moral principles that come from their families. It takes a long time for them to realize this. The attitude of parents towards their children is directly effective in shaping the character traits of the child. In other words, the future of a person directly depends on his/her family. In this respect, the family, with its cognitive, emotional and social effects, is the most influential factor in the development of the child compared to most environmental factors. In this study, the effect of parents' moral maturity on their child-rearing styles is examined. Relational survey model, one of the methods based on quantitative research approaches, was used in the study. The sample of the study consisted of 258 parents reached through convenience sampling method. Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, Spearman Correlation analysis and Regression analysis were used in data analysis. As a result of the analyzes, it was determined that there were statistically significant differences in all sub-dimensions of child rearing attitude except incompatibility according to gender, while there were no statistically significant differences in the moral maturity dimension according to gender. Moral maturity, child rearing attitude and all sub-dimensions differed statistically according to age and educational status. According to monthly income, there are statistically significant differences in moral maturity, child rearing attitude and all sub-dimensions except democratic attitude and equality recognition sub-dimension. There are statistically significant relationships between moral maturity and democratic attitude and recognizing equality, rejection of the role of housewife and strict discipline sub-dimensions. While there are positive relationships between moral maturity and democratic attitude and recognizing equality and strict discipline, there is a negative relationship between moral maturity and rejecting the role of housewife. Moral maturity significantly explains about 23 percent of the variance in the total score of child rearing attitude sub-dimensions.

Fostering the Physical-Literacy Development of Individuals Experiencing Disability Through the Use of PLayTubs: A Pilot Study.

Physical literacy (PL) is increasingly being implemented as a means for holistic development for children and youth. Despite this, children experiencing disabilities and their families continue to face barriers that impede participation in physical activities and subsequent PL development. To empower families to actively engage in their PL development, this study sought to provide an accessible, home- and play-based, parent-facilitated intervention, namely, PLayTubs. The purpose was to explore parents' subjective understanding, involvement, and attitudes toward facilitating physical activity opportunities contributing to PL development through this intervention. Four parents with a child (<12years old) diagnosed with a developmental impairment participated in a 10-week PLayTub experience. Data were collected via semistructured interviews with parents and their children. Making use of an interpretive description methodology and an ecological-dynamics conceptual framework, this study resulted in three themes: (a)a catalyst for autonomy, (b)more than just movement, and (c)an accessible alternative. Parents found that PLayTubs fostered autonomous participation and individual agency, enhanced connections and togetherness, and allowed for the creation of meaningful experiences with physical activity. These positive insights demonstrate the benefit of home-based interventions for this population and highlight the need for larger studies in the future.

Role of parenting attitudes and basic psychological needs in life skills development and transfer among Korean student-athletes

Recent literature on positive youth development through sports has consistently emphasized the role of parents in developing and transferring life skills of athletes. However, related research findings are still lacking, especially within Asia. This study aimed to validate a structural relationship of perceived positive and negative parenting attitudes, basic psychological needs, life skills development, and transfer among student-athletes in South Korea. A survey was conducted with 355 high school athletes aged 16 to 18 (263 males and 92 females; average age 17.04) registered with the Korea Olympic Committee. They participated in 10 different sports, including Taekwondo, soccer, baseball, basketball, badminton, and swimming. Structural equation model analysis was conducted to examine hypotheses. The research results showed that positive parenting attitudes directly predicted basic psychological needs and life skill development, and indirect effects were also confirmed. On the other hand, negative parenting attitudes directly predicted a negative impact on life skill development, but no indirect effects were found. Finally, life skill development positively predicted transfer. These results demonstrate that parents play a direct or indirect role in the development and transfer of life skills among student-athletes by satisfying their basic psychological needs.

Understanding parental choices related to infant sleep practices in the United States using a mixed methods approach

BackgroundThis study aimed to gather information about parental practices, knowledge, and attitudes regarding infant sleep habits and environments, among families who practice non-recommended sleep practices.MethodsWe conducted one-on-one phone interviews with parents who had practiced non-recommended sleep methods with their infant and had or had not experienced an undesirable sleep event such as a fall. Interviews were recorded and coded with MAXQDA software. Intercoder reliability was assessed for consistency.ResultsThirty-one parents consented, and 21 interviews were conducted. Parents were aware of current American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) sleep recommendations for infants, knew about the sleep risks of non-recommended practices and had access to a recommended sleep environment. Parents reported developing modifications to the sleep environment which they perceived made their infant’s sleep safer. Many parents felt that they could not be honest with their primary care provider about utilizing a non-recommended sleep environment; many had not had a detailed conversation with their primary care provider about safe sleep.ConclusionsOur data are consistent with previous studies which demonstrate that lack of access to a recommended sleep space or lack of knowledge about AAP sleep guidelines are not the primary reasons for practicing non-recommended sleep habits. Our data highlights the disconnect between the current AAP safe sleep recommendations and what parents feel is feasible to do on a daily basis. Evaluating the impact of a risk elimination strategy which is used in the US compared with a risk mitigation strategy which is used in other countries on parental practice and ability to communicate honestly with primary care providers is a future area of research.

Parental attitudes and beliefs about mathematics and the use of gestures in children’s math development

Parental attitudes and beliefs about mathematics and the use of gestures in children’s math development

A comparative study of parental attitude towards their children with intellectual disability based on educational qualification, financial background and region

A comparative study of parental attitude towards their children with intellectual disability based on educational qualification, financial background and region

아버지의 양육태도와 훈육방식이 유아의 자기조절 능력에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship and relative influence between the father’s parenting attitude, discipline method, and the child’s self-regulatory ability. this study surveyed 211 children and their fathers living in Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, and Busan. The collected data were analyzed by moment correlation analysis and stepwise multiple regression analysis using the SPSS 21.0 program. The results of the study are as follows: First, a correlation was found between the father’s controlling parenting attitude and the child’s self-regulatory ability. However, no significant correlation was found between the father’s discipline method and the child’s self-regulatory ability. Second, when examining the relative influence of the father’s parenting attitude and discipline method on the child’s self-regulatory ability, the father’s controlling parenting attitude was found to be a strong positive predictor of the overall self-regulatory ability and sub-factors of the child, while the father’s rejecting parenting attitude was a negative predictor. Among the sub-factors of self-regulatory ability, self-control and attention were positively predicted by the father’s controlling parenting attitude. In conclusion, this study is significant in that it analyzes the father-related factors influencing the child’s self-regulatory ability, and suggests that the findings can be used as basic data for developing strategies to improve the father’s parenting attitude to enhance the child’s self-regulatory ability.

Literature Review on Children Outside Educational Opportunities: A Study of Children with Foreign Origin in Japan

Children of foreign origin in Japan face various hurdles in accessing educational opportunities, potentially limiting their strengths and abilities throughout their life course. With the aim of increasing the inclusion of children of foreign origin in Japanese formal education, this paper reviews the literature, focusing on early childhood education and care (ECEC) to identify what has been clarified in previous studies and what has not been sufficiently analyzed, to suggest future directions. Compared with the extensive studies conducted in the U.S., research on ECEC opportunities for children of foreign origin living in Japan is still in its nascent stage. To ensure access to ECEC for children of foreign origin in Japan, it is critical to examine the impact of ECEC on children of foreign origin in Japan and determine which types of ECEC are most effective. Also, there is a lack of comprehensive research on the specific nationalities, family environments, living conditions, cultural backgrounds, and attitudes of parents who do not utilize ECEC opportunities, and detailed research involving parents of children not enrolled in ECEC is necessary to understand the barriers and decision-making factors related to ECEC enrollment.

The Influence of Parenting Styles and Parental Attitudes on The Behavioral Development of Children Aged 3- 5 Years

The Influence of Parenting Styles and Parental Attitudes on The Behavioral Development of Children Aged 3- 5 Years

Parental Perception about use of Inhaler Therapies in Childhood Asthma

Background: Parental attitudes towards the use of inhaled therapy in children with chronic asthma influence treatment adherence and outcome. In the present study, we evaluated the perceptions and concerns of parents of children with chronic asthma towards inhaled therapy. Objectives: The primary objective of this study is to understand how parents perceive inhaler therapies for managing childhood asthma, focusing on factors such as effectiveness, accessibility, and potential side effects. It also seeks to explore the influence of socio-cultural factors on parental acceptance and adherence to prescribed inhaler treatments. Methods: A qualitative approach was used, involving in-depth interviews with 200 parents or caregivers of children aged 5 to 12 years diagnosed with asthma. Participants were selected from Bolan Medical Complex, Quetta, through purposive sampling. The study gathered data through semi-structured interviews that focused on participants' experiences, attitudes, and knowledge regarding inhaler therapies. Results: The findings revealed that the majority of parents were aware of asthma and inhaler therapies, with a significant proportion viewing inhalers as an effective treatment option. However, concerns about side effects and the long-term use of inhalers were common. Cultural beliefs also influenced parents' willingness to embrace inhaler therapy, with some preferring alternative treatments. Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of addressing parental concerns and misconceptions about inhaler therapies. Educational interventions, clear communication from healthcare providers, and culturally sensitive approaches are crucial in improving parental acceptance and adherence to inhaler treatments, ultimately enhancing asthma management in children.