Factors Associated with Child-care Happiness Scores of Mothers by the Age of their Children

• Published in: 日本地域看護学会誌 Vol. 26; no. 1; pp. 50 - 58
• Main Author: Akeno Seiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japan Academy of Community Health Nursing 2023; 一般社団法人 日本地域看護学会
• Subjects: childcare happiness; childcare support; infant health checkup; mothers; parenting; 乳幼児健康診査; 母親; 育児幸福感; 育児支援; 親性
• ISSN: 1346-9657; 2432-0803
• DOI: 10.20746/jachn.26.1_50

Objective: To identify factors associated with scores on the Child-care Happiness Scale (CHS) among mothers of children at different health checkup ages.Methods: An anonymous, self-administered questionnaire was sent to 1,011 mothers who visited health centers for a health checkup for their infants or children. The questionnaire included respondents’ basic attributes, fathers’ involvement in childcare and housework, mothers’ perception of fathers’ emotional support, parenting (3 areas), and mothers’ CHS scores (8 areas). Multiple linear regression was performed using mothers’ CHS scores as a dependent variable, according to child’s health checkup age.Results: Of all responses, 388 (38.4%) were valid. For all health checkup ages, the CHS scores were higher among mothers with higher scores on the “state of the parental role,” a subscale of “parenting.” A mother being younger, and a child’s birth order being lower were associated with higher CHS scores among mothers of 18-month-olds and 3-year-olds, respectively. The CHS scores were also higher with higher “mothers’ perception of their child” scores among mothers of infants and 18-month-olds, and with stronger perceptions of fathers’ emotional support among mothers of 3-year-olds.Conclusion: Having a sense of satisfaction with her role as a parent is found to be important for a mother to have higher CHS scores. This requires that mothers of infants and 18-months-olds have parenting support, while mothers of 18-months-olds should be able to interact with their children in a flexible manner according to the child’s personality. For mothers of 3-year-olds, promoting fathers’ emotional support in parenting is essential. 目的：乳幼児を育てる母親の育児幸福感に関連する要因を乳幼児健診の対象年齢別に明らかにする．方法：乳幼児健診に来所した3～5か月児（以下，乳児），1歳6か月児，3歳児の母親1,011人を対象に無記名自記式質問紙調査を実施した．調査内容は，基本属性，父親の育児・家事，育児に関する情緒的サポート，3下位尺度からなる親性，8下位尺度からなる育児幸福感である．健診年齢別に母親の育児幸福感を従属変数とした重回帰分析を行った．結果：388人（38.4％）の有効回答を得た．すべての健診年齢において，母親の親性「親役割の状態」が高いほど育児幸福感が高かった．1歳6か月児の母親では母親の年齢が低く，3歳児の母親では出生順位が低いことが育児幸福感に関連していた．また，乳児と1歳6か月児の母親では，「子どもへの認識」が高いほど育児幸福感が高かった．3歳児の母親では，父親の育児に関する情緒的サポートを認識しているほど育児幸福感が高かった．結論：母親の育児幸福感を高めるためには，親としての役割に満足感を抱くことが重要であると示唆された．乳児および1歳6か月児の母親では試行錯誤する育児を支えること，1歳6か月児の母親では子どもの成長・発達の様子を理解し，子どもとのよりよい関係性を保ち子どもの特性に応じた柔軟な関わりがもてること，3歳児の母親では子どもの成長・発達に関する心配やしつけにおいて父親の情緒的サポートを促す支援が必要である．