The association between perceived social support and parenting self-efficacy among parents of children aged 0-8 years

Strengthening social support has been recognized as a potentially effective strategy to enhance parenting self-efficacy, but empirical evidence is limited. This study examined the association between perceived social support and parenting self-efficacy.Data of 647 parents of children aged 0-8 years, gathered in the CIKEO cohort study in the Netherlands, were analysed. Data were collected between October 2017 and December 2019. Multivariable linear regression models were used to examine the association between social support and parenting self-efficacy. The mean age of the participants was 33.8 years (SD = 4.9); 94.9% mothers. At the start of the study, 15.1% parents perceived low to moderate social support. Parents who experienced lower levels of social support at the start of the study reported lower parenting self-efficacy at follow-up (β: 0.13; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.21), independent of potential socio-demographic confounders. Experiencing an increase in perceived social support during the study period was associated with an increase in parenting self-efficacy (β: 0.15; 95% CI: 0.10, 0.21). Our findings indicate perceived social support is associated with parenting self-efficacy among parents of children aged 0-8 years. Future longitudinal studies need to confirm our findings and may examine which social support interventions are effective in strengthening parenting self-efficacy.

The effect of a community-based group intervention on chronic disease self-management in a vulnerable population

Introduction

Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are predominantly related to modifiable health behaviors and account for 74% of global deaths at present. Behavior modification through self-management is a strategy to prevent NCDs. Chronic Disease Self-Management Programs (CDSMPs) have demonstrated improvements in health behaviors, health status, and use of healthcare.

Objective

We evaluated the effects of a 6-week CDSMP on self-efficacy, health behaviors, mental health, health-related quality of life (HR-QoL), and health responsibilities among vulnerable populations with chronic disease in Europe.

Methods

A prospective cohort study with a 6-month pre-post single-group design was conducted in five European countries. The intervention targeted adults with chronic conditions and low socioeconomic status, as well as their caregivers. The intervention was a 6-week community-based CDSMP in a group setting. Outcomes were measured per self-report questionnaire at baseline and 6-month follow-up: self-efficacy, health behaviors, mental health, HR-QoL, and health responsibilities.

Results

Of 1,844 participants, 1,248 (67.7%) completed follow-up and attended ≥4 sessions. For the chronic condition group, the following outcome measures at follow-up significantly improved compared with baseline (all P < 0.002): self-efficacy (SEMCD-6 6.7 vs. 6.4), mental health (PHQ-8 6.3 vs. 7.0), HR-QoL (SF-12 PCS 42.3 vs. 40.2, SF-12 MCS 42.8 vs. 41.4), health utility (EQ-5D-5L 0.88 vs. 0.86), self-rated health (EQ-5D-5L 67.2 vs. 63.9), communication with healthcare providers (2.28 vs. 2.11), understanding information (3.10 vs. 3.02), number of doctor visits (3.61 vs. 4.97), accident and emergency department visits (0.25 vs. 0.48), total nights in a hospital (0.65 vs. 1.13), and perceived medical errors (19.6 vs. 28.7%). No significant changes were detected in dietary habits, physical activity, substance use, and sleep and fatigue. For caregivers without a chronic condition, only doctor visits significantly decreased (1.54 vs. 2.25, P < 0.001).

Discussion

This CDSMP was associated with improvement in self-efficacy, depression, HR-QoL, and health responsibilities over 6 months in a diverse European population with a chronic condition. However, additional interventions targeting lifestyle risk factors are needed to improve health outcomes.

Longitudinal associations between parent, child, family factors and dyssomnias in children from birth to 8 years: The CIKEO study

BACKGROUND

Dyssomnias, are the most common parent-reported sleep complaints in young children. The present study investigated the prevalence, one-year development (incidence and persistence) of dyssomnia in early childhood, and the parent, child, and family factors associated with dyssomnia.

METHODS

Longitudinal data of 700 children aged 0-8, gathered in the CIKEO cohort study in the Netherlands were analyzed. Dyssomnias were defined as the presence of night awakenings ≥3 times per night or sleep-onset latency of >30 min. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was used to identify the parental, child, and family factors associated with the incidence and persistence of dyssomnias in children.

RESULTS

The mean age of the children (47 % girls) was 3.2 ± 1.9 years at baseline and 4.4 ± 1.8 years at follow-up. The prevalence of dyssomnias was 13.3 % and 15.4 % at baseline and follow-up, respectively. The incidence and persistence rates of dyssomnias at follow-up were 12.0 % and 37.6 %, respectively. New incidence of insomnia was associated with being a girl, having medical conditions, experiencing stressful life events, and lower parenting self-efficacy at baseline (P < 0.05). Higher levels of parental psychological distress were associated with the persistence of dyssomnias in children (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Dyssomnias are common with a moderate persistent rate in young children. Several parental, child, and family factors in relation to the incidence and persistence of dyssomnias were identified. Preventive programs and interventions targeting modifiable factors, particularly parental psychological distress, parenting self-efficacy, and resilience to stressful life events, might benefit child sleep.

Socio-demographic characteristics associated with perceived social support among parents of children aged 0-7 years: the CIKEO study

BACKGROUND

Social support has been associated with numerous positive outcomes for families' health, wellbeing and empowerment. This study examined which socio-demographic characteristics are associated with perceived social support among parents of children aged 0-7 years.

METHOD

Cross-sectional data of 1007 parents of children aged 0-7 years, gathered in the CIKEO cohort study in the Netherlands, were analysed. Social support was assessed with the Multi-dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Linear regression models were used to examine associations between socio-demographic characteristics and perceived social support.

RESULTS

The mean age of the participants was 34.1 years (SD = 5.1); 92.9% were mothers. The multivariable regression model showed that fathers (β: -0.15, 95% CI: - 0.22, - 0.08), parents with a low educational level (β: -0.12, 95% CI: 0.18, - 0.06), parents with a low income (β: -0.10, 95% CI: - 0.19, - 0.01), unemployed parents (β: -0.14, 95% CI: - 0.20, - 0.07), and parents of older children (β: -0.07; 95% CI: - 0.13, 0.00) perceived lower levels of social support. Interaction analyses showed that parents with a migration background and a low educational level were particularly susceptible to perceiving lower levels of support (β: -0.34, 95% CI: - 0.52, - 0.15).

CONCLUSION

Fathers, parents with a low educational level, parents with a low income, unemployed parents, parents of older children, and parents with both a migration background and a low educational level are at increased risk of perceiving lower levels of social support.

IMPLICATIONS

We recommend to develop, implement and evaluate intervention strategies to strengthen perceived social support among the abovementioned subgroups of parents, in order to improve families' health, wellbeing and empowerment.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NTR7607 in the Netherlands trial registry.

Evaluation of an Intervention to Promote Self-Management Regarding Cardiovascular Disease: The Social Engagement Framework for Addressing the Chronic-Disease-Challenge (SEFAC)

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are predominantly lifestyle related. Mental health issues also influence CVD progression and quality of life. Self-management of lifestyle behaviors and mental well-being may play a significant role in reducing the CVD burden. Previous studies have shown that mindfulness practices are associated with psychological well-being, but their effects on CVD self-management are mainly unknown.

METHODS

The study had a before-after design and included adults over 50 years with CVD and/or one or more risk factors from three European countries. Follow-up was six months. The intervention was a 7-week mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) in a group setting focusing on chronic disease self-management. Outcomes were measured with validated self-report questionnaires at baseline and follow-up: self-efficacy, physical activity, nutrition, smoking, alcohol use, sleep and fatigue, social support, stress, depression, medication adherence, and self-rated health.

RESULTS

Among 352 participants, 324 (92%) attended ≥4 of the 7 group sessions and completed follow-up. During follow-up, self-efficacy, stress, social support, depressive symptoms, and self-rated health significantly improved. No significant changes were detected for other outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

A 7-week MBI focusing on chronic disease self-management was conducive to improved self-efficacy, emotional well-being, social support, and self-rated overall health during six months. These findings support the use of MBIs for improving self-management in cardiovascular care. ISRCTN registry-number ISRCTN11248135.

A prospective study on the association between social support perceived by parents of children aged 1-7 years and the use of community youth health care services

Aim

This study examined the association between social support perceived by parents of children aged 1-7 years and the use of additional community youth health care services.

Methods

Data of 749 parents of children aged 1-7 years, gathered in the CIKEO cohort study in the Netherlands, were analyzed. Social support was assessed with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Data on the use of additional community youth health care services during a period of 1.5 years were obtained from the electronic records of participating youth health care organizations. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the association between perceived social support and the use of additional youth health care services and to explore moderation by the parent's educational level.

Results

The mean age of the responding parents was 33.9 years (SD = 5.1); 93.6% were mothers. Parents who perceived low to moderate levels of social support had 1.72 (95% CI: 1.11, 2.66) times higher odds of using one or more additional youth health care services during the study period compared to parents who perceived high levels of social support at baseline. This association was independent of predisposing factors, but not independent of need factors (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the association was moderated by the educational level of the parent (p = 0.015). Among parents with a high educational level, low to moderate levels of perceived social support at baseline were associated with 2.93 (95% CI: 1.47, 5.83) times higher odds of using one or more additional youth health care services during the study period independent of predisposing and need factors. Among parents with a low or middle educational level the association between perceived social support and use of additional youth health care services was not significant.

Conclusion

Our findings provide evidence that low to moderate levels of perceived social support are associated with a higher use of additional community youth health care services among parents of children aged 1-7 years, especially among high educated parents. Recommendations for policy and practice are provided.

The Association between Stressful Life Events and Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Children 0-7 Years Old: The CIKEO Study

Background: Stressful life events (SLEs) are recognized risk factors for emotional and behavioral problems, but the association is understudied among young children. Our aim was to examine the association between exposure to SLEs and emotional and behavioral problems in young children up to 7 years old. Methods: We analyzed baseline data from 959 children (mean age = 3.3 years; SD = 1.9; 47.5% girls) in the CIKEO study, a community-based longitudinal study in the Netherlands. Linear regression was used to assess the associations between the total as well as the individual exposure to SLEs experienced in the past 12 months, and emotional and behavioral problems assessed by CBCL 1.5-5. Interactions of SLEs and child age, sex, ethnic background, and socioeconomic status were explored. Results: Higher total exposure to SLEs, as indicated by the number of SLEs, was significantly associated with higher CBCL total, internalizing and externalizing problem scores (p for trend < 0.05). The results did not differ by child age, sex, ethnic background, or family SES. Six out of the 12 SLEs explored were independently associated with greater CBCL total/externalizing/internalizing scores (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Exposure to SLEs is associated with higher levels of emotional and behavioral problems in young children, and the impact of SLEs may vary depending on the types of events. Stressful life events might be a useful target for interventions to improve emotional and behavioral well-being among young children.

Parental, child and socio-contextual factors associated with parenting self-efficacy among parents of children aged 0-7 years old: the CIKEO study

BACKGROUND

A high parenting self-efficacy (PSE) has been associated with positive parenting and positive child development. However, there is limited and inconsistent information on factors associated with PSE.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate factors associated with PSE in parents of children aged 0-7 years old, and to explore whether the associations were different between mothers and fathers.

METHODS

We performed a cross-sectional analysis of the baseline data from a prospective cohort study: the CIKEO study. A total of 1012 parents (mean age = 33.8, SD = 5.0) completed self-reported measure of PSE and 18 potential factors associated with PSE.

RESULTS

Multivariable models revealed that lower parenting stress, fewer child behavior problems, better eating behavior, better parental and child general health, a smaller number of children living in the household, higher perceived level of social support and having a migration background were associated with higher levels of PSE (p < 0.05). The association between family functioning and PSE differed between mothers and fathers (p for interaction = 0.003): with beta and 95% confidence interval being: 1.29 (- 2.05, 0.87), and 0.23 (- 0.46, 3.29), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

A range of parental, child and social-contextual factors in relation to PSE were identified. The patterns of associations for most of the factors were similar among mothers and fathers. However, the association between family functioning and PSE might differ for mothers and fathers. Our findings are relevant for tailoring and implementing successful interventions and effective policy making in child care.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Netherlands National Trial Register number NL7342. Date of registration: 05-November-2018, retrospectively registered.

Factors associated with media use for parenting information: A cross-sectional study among parents of children aged 0-8 years

Aim

Media use may strengthen parents’ capacities to deal with parenting issues. This study examined which factors are associated with media use for parenting information.

Design

Cross‐sectional data of 658 parents of children aged 0–8 years, gathered in the CIKEO cohort study in the Netherlands, were analysed.

Methods

Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine which factors were associated with media use for parenting information.

Results

The mean age of the participants was 33.8 years (SD = 5.0); 94.7% were mothers; 77.4% used media for parenting information. Parents with more questions or concerns (OR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.23, 1.59), and parents who received parenting information from their social contacts (OR: 5.57, 95% CI: 3.22, 9.61), had higher odds of media use for parenting information. Older parents (OR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.91, 1.00), and parents of older children (OR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.74, 0.95), had lower odds of media use for parenting information.

Socio-demographic characteristics associated with emotional and social loneliness among older adults

Background

International studies provide an overview of socio-demographic characteristics associated with loneliness among older adults, but few studies distinguished between emotional and social loneliness. This study examined socio-demographic characteristics associated with emotional and social loneliness.

Methods

Data of 2251 community-dwelling older adults, included at the baseline measure of the Urban Health Centers Europe (UHCE) project, were analysed. Loneliness was measured with the 6-item De Jong-Gierveld Loneliness Scale. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to evaluate associations between age, sex, living situation, educational level, migration background, and loneliness.

Results

The mean age of participants was 79.7 years (SD = 5.6 years); 60.4% women. Emotional and social loneliness were reported by 29.2 and 26.7% of the participants; 13.6% experienced emotional and social loneliness simultaneously. Older age (OR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.06–1.28), living without a partner (2.16, 95% CI: 1.73–2.70), and having a low educational level (OR: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.21–2.73), were associated with increased emotional loneliness. Women living with a partner were more prone to emotional loneliness than men living with a partner (OR: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.31–2.40). Older age (OR: 1.11, 95% CI: 1.00–1.22) and having a low educational level (OR: 1.77, 95% CI: 1.14–2.74) were associated with increased social loneliness. Men living without a partner were more prone to social loneliness than men living with a partner (OR: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.35–2.78).

Conclusions

Socio-demographic characteristics associated with emotional and social loneliness differed regarding sex and living situation. Researchers, policy makers, and healthcare professionals should be aware that emotional and social loneliness may affect older adults with different socio-demographic characteristics.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12877-021-02058-4.

The Association between Loneliness and Health Related Quality of Life (HR-QoL) among Community-Dwelling Older Citizens

Background: This study aimed to assess the association between loneliness and Health-Related Quality of Life (HR-QoL) among community-dwelling older citizens in five European countries. We characterize loneliness broadly from an emotional and social perspective. Methods: This cross-sectional study measured loneliness with the 6-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale and HR-QoL with the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey. The association between loneliness and HR-QoL was examined using multivariable linear regression models. Results: Data of 2169 citizens of at least 70 years of age and living independently (mean age = 79.6 ± 5.6; 61% females) were analyzed. Among the participants, 1007 (46%) were lonely; 627 (29%) were emotionally and 575 (27%) socially lonely. Participants who were lonely experienced a lower HR-QoL than participants who were not lonely (p ≤ 0.001). Emotional loneliness [std-β: -1.39; 95%-CI: -1.88 to -0.91] and social loneliness [-0.95; -1.44 to -0.45] were both associated with a lower physical HR-QoL. Emotional loneliness [-3.73; -4.16 to -3.31] and social loneliness [-1.84; -2.27 to -1.41] were also both associated with a lower mental HR-QoL. Conclusions: We found a negative association between loneliness and HR-QoL, especially between emotional loneliness and mental HR-QoL. This finding indicates that older citizens who miss an intimate or intense emotional relationship and interventions targeting mental HR-QoL deserve more attention in policy and practice than in the past.

Evaluation of effectiveness of (elements of) parenting support in daily practice of preventive youth health care; design of a naturalistic effect evaluation in 'CIKEO' (consortium integration knowledge promotion effectiveness of parenting interventions)

BACKGROUND

The number of interventions to support parents is growing. The level of evidence regarding these intervention varies. In this paper we describe a study that aims to assess the effectiveness of specific 'elements' within such parenting interventions for families with children up to 7 years. A naturalistic effect evaluation will be applied. Study questions are: 1. What is the exposure of parents to (elements of) parenting interventions in the daily practice of preventive youth health care? 2. What are the associations between the exposure to (elements of) parenting interventions and outcomes in parents/children related to parenting and child development?

METHODS/DESIGN

Thousand parents/caregivers are recruited by preventive youth health care providers in the Netherlands. Measurements will be performed after inclusion and after 12-months follow up. Data regarding child/parent/caregiver characteristics, use of (parenting) interventions and care, and outcomes with regard to parenting skills, family functioning and child development will be collected. Outcomes will be compared between parents/children exposed and non-exposed to the (elements of) parenting interventions (adjusting for confounders).

DISCUSSION

We hypothesize that parents/caregivers with exposure to (elements of) parenting interventions show (relatively more) improvements in parenting outcomes. Results will support intervention selection/development, and support communities/professionals to select appropriate intervention-elements.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Netherlands National Trial Register number NL7342 . Date of registration: 05-November-2018, retrospectively registered.