Single Mother Status Research Articles

A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF SINGLE MOTHERS

In recent years, there has been an increasing amount of research on single mothers internationally. This article analyzes 1543 research papers on single mothers from Web of Science database using CiteSpace literature analysis software. The study found that research on single mothers covers 79 countries globally, forming a close and comprehensive cooperative network between them. The North American region, including the United States and Canada, is a core research force in the field of single mothers. The top 15 research institutions produced more than 30 papers each, with the University of California System ranking first with a total of 72 papers. The journal with the most publications was the Journal of Marriage and Family, with a total of 44 papers. There were 8 authors who published more than 10 papers, with Herbst CM having the most with 16 papers. The frequency of citations for research on single mothers has shown a significant increasing trend in recent years, with a total of 36,624 citations, an average of 23.74 citations per paper, and an h-index of 83. Through the analysis of clustering networks and high-frequency keywords, the research hotspot on single mothers mainly focuses on four aspects: the psychological health of single mothers, the economic and employment status of single mothers, the children of single mothers, and the social support of single mothers.

Trend over 25 years of risk factors of mother's own milk provision to very low birth weight infants at discharge

BackgroundFeeding mother's own milk (MOM) is associated with reduced morbidity of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants (<1500 g), but not all mothers are able to provide pumped breast milk or breastfeed until discharge. AimsTo investigate the duration of MOM feeding and identify risk factors for cessation. Study designSingle-center retrospective cohort study. Subjects307 VLBW infants born 2012 and 2019 surviving beyond 7 days of life. Outcome measuresAnalysis of MOM feeding at discharge, including comparison with a historical cohort of infants born 1992–1994. ResultsMOM feeding was initiated in 178/180 infants (98.9 %) born in 2012 and in 123/127 infants (96.9 %) born in 2019 (p = 0.132), as compared to 73/89 (82 %) infants born 1992–1994 (p < 0.001). Median [range] duration of MOM feeding was similar for infants born in 2012 (45 [0–170] days) and 2019 (50 [0–190] days) (p = 0.396), but much longer than in the historical cohort (36 [0–152] days) (p < 0.001). The overall breastfeeding rate increased up to 69.2 % and 77.2 %. Factors associated with cessation of MOM feeding were smoking during pregnancy, single-mother status, short (<12 years) duration of maternal or paternal school education (all p ≤ 0.001), natural conception, birth weight ≥ 1000 g, and gestational age ≥ 29 weeks (p < 0.05). In Cox proportional hazard multivariate analysis, smoking during pregnancy and single-mother status remained independent risk factors. ConclusionsDuration of MOM feeding and breastfeeding rates of VLBW infants during hospital stay have increased significantly during the last 30 years, while smoking and indicators of low socioeconomic status remain dominant predictors of cessation of MOM feeding.

Assessment of Characteristics, Sources, and Anxiety Levels in Women with Single Parent Status during the COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had an impact on people globally, including mothers living in coastal regions. Therefore, this study aims at identifying the psychological status of single mothers living in the coastal regions of Indonesia. METHODS: A descriptive quantitative cross-sectional design was used with non-probability sampling in coastal regions of West Java, Indonesia. Furthermore, the Zung Self Rating Anxiety Scale was used to assess the anxiety level of single mothers. RESULTS: The anxiety of single mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic was generally moderate (n = 45.77.59%), with 44.83% attributing it to health and the economy. Furthermore, previous results showed that this condition was observed in the elderly (n = 38.65.52%), though it lasted &lt;5 years in the majority of cases (n = 33.56.90%). Symptoms associated with the anxiety of single mothers during the pandemic include an increase in restlessness, nervousness, and anxiety. CONCLUSION: The economy and health of single mothers were the primary sources of anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. A high percentage of these women suffer from mild anxiety and require immediate care to prevent the development of other health problems. Therefore, health cadres and community nurses are expected to take action to achieve optimal psychological welfare among single mothers during the pandemic. Further study can be conducted by focusing on the theme of defense mechanisms or resilience.

Communicating the risk of contracting Zika virus to low income underserved pregnant Latinas: A clinic-based study.

Frequent travel between the Southern border states in the USA, Mexico, and Latin American countries increases the risk of the Zika virus (ZIKV) spread. Patient education on virus transmission is fundamental in decreasing the number of imported cases, particularly among pregnant women. The study used cross-sectional methodology to investigate information sources and knowledge concerning the ZIKV virus among 300 under-served pregnant Latinas recruited from prenatal care clinics in the North Texas region. Bivariate and multiple logistic regression models were used to investigate associations between the primary outcomes and patient characteristics. Physicians, nurses, and families are the major sources for pregnancy information, while media/internet (65%) and physician/nurse (33%) are the main sources for ZIKV information. Less than one-half of the mothers reported that their physician/nurse did not discuss safe sexual practices or inquired about their sexual practices. A considerable proportion of women from the community clinic were neither warned nor queried about travel to ZIKV risk countries. There is an overall understanding of Zika virus transmission, symptoms, complications, and recommended guidelines. Younger age and single mother status are risk factors for lack of ZIKV knowledge. Foreign-born mothers are 2.5-3.0 times more likely to have knowledge on disease transmission, symptoms, and microcephaly condition. While, younger mothers (18-24) are less likely to have knowledge of ZIKV infection symptoms (fever, rash and pink eye) and transmission of infection via unprotected sexual (vaginal, anal, or oral) behavior, compared to older mothers. Interventions are needed to heighten the knowledge of ZIKV, particularly among women of reproductive age and their male partners in the community health care setting. Our study underscores the need for health care providers to be trained in delivering messages to enhance risk perception during health emergencies to vulnerable and underserved families (lower economic background, language ability, and culture). During health emergencies, clinics must disseminate crucial information via multi modalities to ensure messages reach the targeted patients.

Transforming the structure of unmarried women’s social perceptions of single motherhood through digital technologies

The transformation of the structure of social ideas about marriage and family relations in general and the structure of the modern family has been considered through digital technologies. The problem of the growing number of single mothers has been raised. Statistics for 20 years have been provided. The influence of several factors on the growth dynamics has been analysed. The influence of women`s emancipation, availability of remote work and the image of successful bloggers on changing the fields of social representations of modern unmarried women about single motherhood has been examined. One of the main reasons for changing the attitude of women to the image of single mother, namely the appearance of a new image-”solo-mom”, which is actively used in the digital environment, has been considered. Communities and groups in the social networks Vkontakte, Facebook, Instagram and Odnoklassniki, dedicated to supporting single mothers, have been studied. Blogs of single mothers who position themselves as “solo-mothers”, have been reviewed. The results of an empirical study aimed at identifying a factor that affects the change in the system of views and attitudes of unmarried women in the transition zone and the periphery have been presented. The responses of respondents received in 2014 and 2019 by the free Association experiment have been analysed. The respondents answers were divided into three categories: single mother status, status assessment, qualities of the single mother’s personality. The results of a comparative analysis of women’s social perceptions about single motherhood for the period from 2014 to 2019 have been presented. Based on the results obtained, conclusions about the change in perceptions of single mothers over the past 5 years, the emergence of a new image of a single woman with a child – “solo mom”, have been made.

Parental mental illness, attendance at preventive child healthcare and dental caries in the offspring: a nation-wide population-based cohort study.

Severe mental illness (SMI) may interfere with parental caregiving practices and offspring development. Adhering to preventive well-child visits and maintaining good oral hygiene during early childhood requires parental involvement. Whether these activities are affected by parental SMI is unclear. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether children exposed to parental SMI are at increased risk of non-attendance to preventive well-child visits and vaccinations at age 0-5years and of child dental caries experience at age 5years. Furthermore, interactions between maternal psychiatric and sociodemographic variables in relation to an adverse child outcome were assessed. Data were obtained from national Danish health registers. All children born in Denmark between January 1997 and December 2010 were followed from birth until their 6th birthday. 679,339 children were included in the study (51% male). Of these, 49,059 children (7.8%) had at least one parent with a lifetime SMI diagnosis. Children of parents with SMI had elevated odds of missing well-child visits and vaccinations (OR 1.41; 95% CI 1.39-1.44, p < 0.0001), and of child dental caries (OR 1.58; 95% CI 1.55-1.62, p < 0.0001). In the presence of maternal SMI, low socioeconomic classification and single-mother status added more to the elevated risk than specific maternal diagnosis or timing of last psychiatric contact. Parents with SMI are less compliant with preventive child healthcare activities than parents without SMI. This indicates a need for practical support to these families in order to prevent inequality in health among their offspring.

Consider implementing 5 key strategies to help single parents succeed in higher ed

A 2017 report from the Institute for Women's Policy Research evaluated the status of single mothers in college. Key findings were that single mothers are a rapidly growing population, women of color are more likely to be single parents, and single mothers are particularly at risk for attrition.

Consider implementing 5 key strategies to help single parents succeed in higher ed

A 2017 report from the Institute for Women's Policy Research evaluated the status of single mothers in college. Key findings were that single mothers are a rapidly growing population, women of color are more likely to be single parents, and single mothers are particularly at risk for attrition.

Prospective Associations between Maternal Self-Sacrifice/Overprotection and Child Adjustment: Mediation by Insensitive Parenting

Prior research on Expressed Emotion (EE) in parents’ Five Minute Speech Samples (FMSS) suggests that parental attitudes that are overprotective or blur boundaries between the parent and child (i.e., the criteria for self-sacrifice/overprotection; SSOP) are related to increases in children’s behavior problems. Some theorists contend that parents who demonstrate high levels of SSOP treat their children more insensitively, but others argue that SSOP does not result in insensitive parenting during the early childhood years. To date, there is no evidence that can be brought to bear upon this tension within the field regarding the developmental implications of SSOP in childhood. This longitudinal investigation of 223 child-mother dyads (47.9% female; Mage_W1 = 49.08 months; 56.5% Hispanic/Latina) evaluated whether maternal insensitivity at age 6 mediated the link between mothers’ SSOP with respect to their 4-year-old children and children’s behavior problems (i.e., internalizing, attention/hyperactivity) at age 8. A path analysis revealed significant indirect pathways from mothers’ SSOP during the preschool period to children’s increased internalizing and attention/hyperactivity problems at age 8 via elevated maternal insensitivity at age 6. These associations did not differ significantly across groups as a function of child gender, maternal race/ethnicity, single-mother status, or family poverty. FMSS evaluations of SSOP may offer a culturally valid and clinically valuable screening tool to detect parental attitudes that confer elevated risks for insensitive parenting practices and later child adjustment difficulties.

Single Mother Affordability to Own a House

The issue of housing affordability often involves middle and lower income groups. However, the problem of housing affordability is more critical, experienced by single mothers due to single mother is an individual who is the head of the family. The objective of this research to examine the factors that influences the problem of single mothers to own their own house. In addition, this research also to identify the type and price range of affordable house for single mothers. The process of the study begins from problem identification, literature review, case study, data collection, analysis and interpretation of research findings. Questionnaires are used to collect the primary data from respondents while literatures reviews are the secondary data for the research. The sample of this research includes 95 single mothers who are working and registered under The Ministry of Women and Family Darul Takzim. The random sampling technique was the method of sampling utilized.&#x0D; The findings of the research found out that there are a few main factors which influence the affordability of single mother to own their own house influenced by socio economic status such as race, age, single mother status, level of education, working period, the number of household, lower household incomes and house prices in the market. Besides, the type of affordable house may afford by single mothers is single storey and double storey house in a range price between RM50,000 to RM100,000. They are also may own an affordable housing provide by government which is single and double storey low and medium cost in range RM50,000 to RM80,000. In the end of study, various proposals are recommended such as government should control the house price in the market, loosening the loan conditions, the payment of 10 percent deposit and also loosening the rate interest. For developer, they should increase the number of housing for target groups and carry out the market study to identify the affordable housing price.

Ambiguous Status of Single Mothers in India

Ambiguous Status of Single Mothers in India

Dusk at the Dawn: A Study of Unwed Mother in Odisha

The demand for the rights of women and the foundation of organizations for their protection could be described as the early stages of the welfare state development. women's struggles for political and social rights, citizenship, and welfare had been closely linked, and the emphasis was on working class women and their poverty. Many women fought not just for suffrage but also to shape social policies in favour of women. Women began to investigate poverty and found out that it was closely connected to maternity and to the status of single mothers. A group of feminist theorised that maternity should be recognised as work and be awarded a wage. In the United States, the first mothers’ pension law was enacted in Illinois in 1911, and by 1919 thirty-nine states provided some form of mother's aid. It was granted on two conditions: economic need and the absence of husband's support, and thus was granted especially to widows, but in some states also to single, deserted or divorced women. Such maternity policies were rooted in diverse and sometimes conflicting motives, they coincide to a large extent with the feminist demands for mothers’ rights.

Single Motherhood, Alcohol Dependence, and Smoking During Pregnancy: A Propensity Score Analysis.

Few studies linking single motherhood and maternal smoking during pregnancy consider correlated risk from problem substance use beyond history of smoking and concurrent use of alcohol. In the present study, we used propensity score methods to examine whether the risk of smoking during pregnancy associated with single motherhood is the result of potential confounders, including alcohol dependence. Data were drawn from mothers participating in a birth cohort study of their female like-sex twin offspring (n = 257 African ancestry; n = 1,711 European or other ancestry). We conducted standard logistic regression models predicting smoking during pregnancy from single motherhood at twins' birth, followed by propensity score analyses comparing single-mother and two-parent families stratified by predicted probability of single motherhood. In standard models, single motherhood predicted increased risk of smoking during pregnancy in European ancestry but not African ancestry families. In propensity score analyses, rates of smoking during pregnancy were elevated in single-mother relative to two-parent European ancestry families across much of the spectrum a priori risk of single motherhood. Among African ancestry families, within-strata comparisons of smoking during pregnancy by single-mother status were nonsignificant. These findings highlight single motherhood as a unique risk factor for smoking during pregnancy in European ancestry mothers, over and above alcohol dependence. Additional research is needed to identify risks, beyond single motherhood, associated with smoking during pregnancy in African ancestry mothers.

Food insecurity and depression among single mothers in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Nigeria

This study is centered on household food insecurity and depression among single mothers in Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA of Bayelsa State. This study made use of the theories of both Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Family Stress Model as its theoretical framework. The study adopted a survey and co-relational study design. In doing this, a sample size of 246 single mothers was selected using the snowball sampling technique. The questionnaire was the main source of primary data collection. The descriptive statistics of percentages, frequency, mean and standard deviation were the basic analytical tool used for the analysis of socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents, while the inferential statistics of binary regression logistics and spearman correlation coefficient served as the tool for determining the relationship between variables. The findings of this study revealed that single mothers were disproportionally affected by food insecurity situations such as insufficient food, poor nutritional abilities, skipping meals, etc. Also, socio-demographic characteristics of single mothers have a relationship with food insecurity status of single mothers, and finally, food insecurity status of mothers play a role in single mothers’ depression. As such, food insecurity does not only have psychological effect on mothers but also on their health status and the wellbeing of their children. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that there should be concerted efforts by the government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to empower single mothers so as to reduce the economic burden characterized by food insecurity on them. Keywords: Food insecurity, Single Mothers, Depression, Family Stress theory, Maternal health

The impact of child benefits on single mother poverty: Exploring the role of targeting in 15 European countries

Single mothers are vulnerable to living in poverty. The question of how to safeguard the economic status of single mothers in a context of increasing dual earnership is a crucial one. In the present study we addressed this issue by investigating the impact of child benefits on the poverty risk of single mothers in 15 European countries. We focused in particular on the design of child benefits and investigated whether targeting towards single mothers was associated with better poverty reduction. In doing so, we combined information on statutory child benefit entitlement with an empirical analysis of poverty reduction using survey data. We found that: (i) both spending effort and targeting are important to explain the effectiveness of child benefits in reducing single mother poverty; (ii) targeting is related to higher levels of poverty reduction independent of spending effort; yet (iii) it matters how targeting is done.

An association of adult personality with prenatal and early postnatal growth: the EPQ lie-scale.

BackgroundRecent studies have noted differences in social acquiescence and interpersonal relations among adults born preterm or with very low birth weight compared to full term adults. In addition, birth weight has been observed to be negatively correlated with lie-scale scores in two studies. We attempted to replicate and extend these studies by examining young adult lie-scale scores in a Danish birth cohort.MethodWeight, length and head circumference of 9125 children from the Copenhagen Perinatal Cohort were measured at birth and at 1, 3 and 6 years. A subsample comprising 1182 individuals participated in a follow-up at 20–34 years and was administered the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) which includes a lie-scale (indicating social acquiescence or self-insight). Associations between lie-scale scores and weight, length and head circumference respectively were analysed by multiple linear regression adjusting for single-mother status, parity, mother’s age, father’s age, parental social status, age at EPQ measurement, intelligence, and adult size.ResultsMale infants with lower weight, length, and head-circumference at birth and the following three years grew up to have higher scores on the lie-scale as young adults. Most of these associations remained significant after adjustment for the included covariates. No associations were found for females. Analyses were also conducted with neuroticism, extraversion and psychoticism as outcome variables, but no significant associations were found for these traits after adjustment.ConclusionsThe findings replicate and extend findings from previous studies suggesting that size at birth and during the first three years of life is significantly associated with social acquiescence in adult men. They highlight the potential influence of prenatal and early postnatal development on personality growth and development.

Attrition in the Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) study

Objective 1. To determine the attrition rate across study sites in the CHILD study. 2. To document the principle reasons for attrition. 3. To identify maternal factors associated with attrition. Methods CHILD is a study assessing the environmental impact on children’s health. The study includes 4 recruitment sites across Canada (Vancouver, Edmonton, Manitoba, and Toronto). Women enrolled while pregnant will be followed, along with their child for 5 years. Home assessments were done at 3 months, clinical assessments at 1, 3, and 5 years of age, and questionnaires are administered every 6 months. If a study participant withdraws, staff completes a one page questionnaire to determine reasons for withdrawal. The checklist incudes: no reason given, father not interested, family lacks time, family concern regarding privacy, expense to family, inconvenient to travel, complicated family situation, testing difficult, enrolled in another study, too many questionnaires, separation, personal health issue and others. Maternal factors included: history of asthma or food allergy, marital status, socioeconomic status (post secondary education, income), ethnic/ cultural group, being born in Canada, age, and stress measured by a Perceived Stress Scale. Results CHILD recruited 3628 participants at 4 sites (Vancouver 816, Edmonton 840, Manitoba 1107, and Toronto 865). Of the 316 participants withdrawn from the study, 149 were not eligible due to birth issues and 167 withdrew). Attrition rates for those 167 who declined further study were 4.5% (37/816) in Vancouver, 6.2% (52/840) in Edmonton, 2.3% (25/1107) in Manitoba, and 6.1% (53/ 865) in Toronto. Of the 167, further information is available only for 100. 81% (81/100) withdrew due to a lack of time, 17% (17/100) withdrew due to family issues, and 16% (16/100) due to other reasons, such as moving away, religions reason, etc. We compared 2698 participants with available data with 167 withdrawn active participants. Perceived stress was high in 99% withdrawn vs. 69% of active participants (p=0.02). Other important factors for withdrawing include single mother status (12% vs. 6%, p=0.03), maternal history of asthma (13% vs. 23%, p=0.03), and maternal food allergy (11% vs. 22%, p=0.009).

The Gudaga Study: Development in 3‐year‐old urban Aboriginal children

The aim of this analysis was to study and explore factors associated with the developmental progress in urban Aboriginal children at 3 years. The Gudaga Study is a longitudinal birth cohort study of urban Aboriginal infants. The children were assessed using the Griffiths Mental Development Scales, Extended Revised (GMDS-ER) and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Fourth Edition (PPVT-IV). Student's t-tests and multiple linear regression analysis were used to test the association between developmental progress and possible risk factors. Overall, the mean general quotient (GQ) for Gudaga children was significantly lower than the standardised norm (P < 0.001). In the GMDS-ER subscales, the scores were higher than expected in the locomotor (P = 0.002) and personal-social domains (P = 0.002) and lower than expected for language (P < 0.001), eye and hand coordination (P < 0.001), performance (P < 0.001) and practical reasoning (P < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis showed that maternal age (P = 0.02) and single-mother status (P = 0.04) were significantly associated with lower performance on the GMDS-ER. The GQ was inversely proportional to the number of risk factors present (P = 0.001). The mean score of the PPVT-IV was also lower than the PPVT-IV norms (P < 0.001). At 3 years, urban Aboriginal children show relative strengths in their locomotor and self-care skills and emerging delays in their language, fine motor and performance skills. Slower developmental progress was more likely in the context of young maternal age and single parenthood.

変動するシングルマザーの社会的地位 ケニア・エンブ社会を事例として

変動するシングルマザーの社会的地位 ケニア・エンブ社会を事例として

Early motor developmental milestones and level of neuroticism in young adulthood: a 23-year follow-up study of the Copenhagen Perinatal Cohort

Studies investigating early developmental factors in relation to psychopathology have mainly focused on schizophrenia. The personality dimension of neuroticism seems to be a general risk factor for psychopathology, but evidence on associations between early developmental precursors and personality traits is almost non-existent. This study is therefore the first to investigate associations between early motor developmental milestones and neuroticism in adulthood. Method Mothers of 9125 children of the Copenhagen Perinatal Cohort recorded 12 developmental milestones during the child's first year of life. A subsample of the cohort comprising 1182 individuals participated in a follow-up when they were aged 20-34 years and were administered the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ). Associations between motor developmental milestones and level of neuroticism, extraversion and psychoticism were analysed by multiple linear regression adjusting for for sex, single-mother status, parity, mother's age, father's age, parental social status and birth weight. Among the 1182 participants with information on the EPQ, information on milestones was available for 968 participants. Infants who developed high levels of neuroticism as adults tended to sit without support, crawl, and walk with and without support significantly later than individuals with low levels of neuroticism (p values <0.05). These results remained significant after adjustment for the included covariates and for adult intelligence. The findings are the first of their kind and suggest that delays in early motor development may not only characterize psychopathological disorders such as schizophrenia, but may also be associated with the personality dimension of neuroticism in adulthood.