Patterns of Paternal Involvement of Korean Fathers: A Person-Centered Approach

Given roles and expectations of father involvement in South Korea are in transition from traditional breadwinner to an involved caregiver to children, it is plausible that Korean fathers show diverse involvement behaviors in the contexts of work, family, and parenting. Using a person-centered approach, we explored if there were groupings of Korean fathers who could be identified from their involvement with their children. We also examined if those subgroup memberships were related to various factors in work, family, and parenting domains. With a sample of 212 married working fathers and the 12 items of involvement behaviors, we found four heterogeneous subgroups of people: low-involved, accessibility-focused, involved-but-less-accessible, and highly involved fathers. Significant differences among the four profiles were also found regarding various factors such as job stress, work and family conflict, work schedule, maternal employment, parenting satisfaction, and perceived level of involvement. Suggestions for future research, practitioners, and policymakers were discussed.

Parenting Sense of Competence in Parents of Children with and without Intellectual Disability

Our study aims to examine the relationship of child’s intellectual disability, parental education, employment and perceived stress with parenting sense of competence (satisfaction and self-efficacy). Three groups of parents (children without intellectual disability, children with mild intellectual disabilities, and children with moderate/severe intellectual disability) completed measures of perceived stress, parenting sense of competence and socio-demographic questions. Results show that child’s intellectual disability affects parenting satisfaction but not parenting self-efficacy. Parental employment predicted parenting satisfaction, but not parenting self-efficacy, while perceived stress predicted parenting satisfaction and self-efficacy. Results further suggest that parental employment moderates the relationship of child's disability with parenting satisfaction and perceived stress. Result suggest a need for interventions aimed at supporting parents in dealing with emotional consequences of their child’s disability.

Protective Factors for Military Veteran Fathers’ Parenting Functioning and Satisfaction

Employing a strengths-based perspective, this study examined protective factors related to fathers’ positive parenting behaviors and parenting satisfaction. The sample included 3,810 active duty veteran fathers who separated from the active component and had at least one child 18 years and younger. Logistic regression analyses indicated that financial status, health functioning, resilience, social support, positive social functioning with community and friends, and positive social functioning with relatives were all associated with parenting functioning. The interaction of the number of deployments and resilience was related to parenting functioning. Furthermore, health functioning, resilience, social support, positive social functioning with community and friends, and positive social functioning with relatives were associated with parenting satisfaction. Among fathers in a romantic relationship, the interaction of the number of deployments and romantic relationship functioning and the interaction of the number of deployments and romantic relationship satisfaction were both related to parenting functioning and parenting satisfaction.

Household Chaos and Parenting Competence Are Associated with Low-Income Mothers’ Use of Food to Soothe: A Longitudinal Analysis in Early Infancy

Objectives Use of food to soothe (FTS) infant distress has been linked to later obesity risk. Infant characteristics influence mothers’ use of FTS, but less is known about how broader family characteristics, like parenting or the home environment impact FTS. We aimed to examine whether maternal parenting competence and household chaos, factors known to influence responsive parenting, were associated with the use of FTS over time. Methods This secondary analysis includes 288 low-income mothers and their full-term newborns participating in the WEE Baby Care study. The Babies Basic Needs Questionnaire was used to assess emotional FTS (e.g., in response to infant distress, maternal stress) and contextual FTS (e.g., car, church) at infant ages 2, 5, and 7 months. The Confusion, Hubbub and Order Scale (chaos) and the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (total competence, parenting satisfaction, parenting self-efficacy) were completed at 2 months. Mixed linear models adjusted for study group were used to examine emotional and contextual FTS over time. Results The use of FTS decreased over time from 2 to 7 months of age (P < 0.05). Mean (SD) chaos was 25.7 (5.3) with a possible range from 15 to 60. Mean (SD) competence was 78.8 (9.8) with a possible range of 16 to 96. Lower competence and parenting satisfaction (both P < 0.0001) and higher chaos (P = 0.03) were associated with mothers’ greater use of emotional FTS. Competence (P = 0.46) and chaos (P = 0.29) were not associated with mothers’ use of contextual FTS. Lower parenting satisfaction was marginally associated with mothers’ greater use of contextual FTS (P = 0.06). Parenting self-efficacy was not associated with the use of FTS. Conclusions Results suggest that maternal parenting characteristics and household chaos may be potentially modifiable factors related to mothers’ use of FTS, especially to relieve their personal or their infants’ emotional distress. Interventions that target low-income mothers’ feeding practices may need to address a broad range of maternal and household characteristics. Funding Sources Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Maternal and Child Health Field-initiated Innovative Research Studies Program.

Efikasi Diri dan Kepuasan dalam Pengasuhan Anak : Studi Meta Analisis

Parenting satisfaction is an indicator to see the quality of the relationship between parents and children. Satisfaction of parenting is considered important because it has an impact on the formation of psychological dynamics of good parenting. The foundation of many parenting satisfaction is based on the feeling of parents to be competent in caring for their children. Confidence in the ability to care turns out to have a strong relationship with the formation of parenting satisfaction. The correlation between parenting satisfaction and self-efficacy is implicitly discussed in various studies, but only a few directly link the two variables. The meta-analysis study aims to ensure the relationship of care satisfaction with self-efficacy through measuring sampling errors in 21 studies from 15 selected articles. The result is a sufficient correlation (ř= 0.41) between parenting satisfaction and self-efficacy. It becomes the basis for determining relationship between parenting satisfaction and self-efficacy. Keywords: parenting satisfaction, parenting self efficacy, meta-analysis.

Parenting Outcomes and Predictors of Parenting Satisfaction in the Early Postpartum Period

This study examined the relationships among parenting self-efficacy (PSE), social support, postnatal depression (PND), and predictors of parenting satisfaction in the early postpartum period using a cross-sectional exploratory quantitative design. The hypothetical model was tested among interrelated concepts of outcome variables among 250 parents (125 couples). The structural equation model revealed an adequate fit between the hypothesized model and the data. PSE and spousal support were found to be predictors of parenting satisfaction. PSE was also found to be a predictor of social support. PND was not found to be a predictor of parenting satisfaction. None of the obstetric and demographic factors predicted parenting satisfaction. This is the first study that tested interrelations among crucial parenting outcome variables among fathers and mothers in the early postpartum period. It is important to assess interrelated parenting outcomes among both parents so that support can be provided to ultimately influence parenting satisfaction.