Examining the Relationship between Life Satisfaction, Smartphone Addiction, and Maternal Parenting Behavior: A South Korean Example of Mothers with Infants

• Published in: Child indicators research Vol. 12; no. 4; pp. 1221 - 1241
• Main Authors: Song, Seung-Min, Park, Bokyung, Kim, Jung-Eun, Kim, Jung Eun, Park, Nam-Shim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.08.2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Addictions; Behavior; Child and School Psychology; Child development; Children; Early Childhood Education; Family system perspective; Infants; Life satisfaction; Maternal and infant welfare; Mothers; Parents & parenting; Protective factors; Psychological well being; Quality of life; Quality of Life Research; Questionnaires; Self report; Smartphones; Social Sciences; Social Work; Structural equation modeling; Well being; Korean mothers; Parenting behavior; Life satisfaction; Smartphone addiction tendency
• ISSN: 1874-897X; 1874-8988
• DOI: 10.1007/s12187-018-9581-0

This study examined the relationship between maternal life satisfaction, smartphone addiction, and parenting behavior in order to protect and promote sustainable well-being of mothers as well as children throughout their lifetimes and quality of life in the family system. Self-report questionnaires were used on 328 Korean mothers with children aged 3 to 5 years. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. Results revealed that maternal life satisfaction had a significant and direct influence on parenting behavior, and its indirect influence on parenting behavior was mediated by smartphone addiction tendency. The findings confirm that a mother’s psychological well-being (life satisfaction) and smartphone addiction tendency are preceding factors for positive maternal parenting behavior. Significant attention must be paid to parents’ psychological well-being to promote children’s healthy development from very early on in life.