Musical Engagement and Parent-Child Attachment in Families With Young Children During the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Steinberg S
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8019693 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Similar Datasets
Project description:This study explored the ambiguous characteristics and influencing factors of parental anxiety, practices, and parent-child relationships among families with young children during a sudden COVID-19 lockdown in Shanghai, China. An online survey was conducted from 1 June to 10 November 2022, with 477 valid responses. Parental anxiety, practices, and parent-child relationships were evaluated. During this lockdown, 72.6% caregivers felt anxious about parenting to different degrees, with only a small proportion experiencing extreme anxiety. Parental anxiety was mainly influenced by whether the caregivers faced parenting issues and external parenting difficulties. The frequency of two-parent-child activities of reading books or looking at picture books with their children and telling stories to them significantly increased. Caregivers' occupations of either professional or technical personnel and working from home were the most significant influencing factors. Mother-child relationships were relatively good. In conclusion, parental anxiety, practices, and parent-child relationships were relatively good and stable among families with young children during this lockdown. In the context of public health emergencies like COVID-19, more parenting support and knowledge should be provided to caregivers from professionals in CHCs or hospitals to decrease parental anxiety and improve parent-child relationships. Full advantage should be taken of working from home to promote parent-child activities.
| S-EPMC10453797 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionThis study aims to shed light on parent-child relationships and the psychological health of parents from low-income families after the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.MethodsThis cross-sectional study recruited 553 parents of children aged 13-24 years in low-income community settings. The Parent-Child Conflict scale of the Parental Environment Questionnaire (PEQ) was used to measure parent-child conflict. Psychological distress was assessed using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale short form (DASS-21).ResultsThe study revealed a low level of parent-child conflict in the overall study population, with a median PEQ of 48.0 (interquartile range [IQR] 36 to 48). Concerning demographics, married parents reported a likelihood of having a higher level of parent-child conflict over 3 times higher than single parents (OR = 3.18 95%, CI 1.30-7.75). More parent-child conflicts were also found in parents aged 60-72 years old who were unemployed, retired, or housewives and from lower-income groups. In regard to lifestyle factors, a higher level of physical activity and having enough sleep were associated with lower levels of parent-child conflict. Only approximately 1% of the participants reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, or stress.DiscussionLow risk exists for parent-child conflict and psychological sequelae following the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, which could be due to various support measures implemented by the government. Vulnerable parents identified as being at risk of parent-child conflict warrant attention in future advocacy efforts.
| S-EPMC10196452 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveWhile ample research exists about mother-child attachment, so far little focus has been on specifics of father-child attachment. Even less research is available on the nature of the father-child relationship for children born preterm. The objective of this study was to determine whether children born preterm (23 to 37 weeks gestation) differ in their attachment to their fathers and mothers from their term peers (> 37 weeks gestation), and whether specific child characteristics, such as gender, twin status, and developmental status, have an influence on the parent-child relationship.MethodsThe sample consisted of 290 children (n = 140 girls, 48.28%), 190 born before term (including 45 twin pairs) between 12 and 36 months of age (M = 19.5, SD = 5.7) and 100 term children of the same age (M = 18.8, SD = 6.1) with their 245 fathers and mothers. Attachment of the children with their mothers and fathers was assessed using the Attachment Q-sort during two home visits. Children's developmental status was measured with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development.ResultsWithin a multigroup analysis of parents with children born preterm and at term more secure attachment was found for both parents in the term sample than in the preterm group. Correlates of attachment specific to fathers of children born preterm accumulated to an explained variance of R2 = .82. For those fathers, less education as well as lower development scores and male gender of the child were associated with lower attachment scores. In the three other parent-child constellations the explained variance did not exceed 20%. Child development proved to be a significant predictor for father-child attachment regardless of the child's birth status. Male gender was associated with lower attachment scores for children born preterm with either parent.ConclusionThe findings highlight the importance of including fathers in research and clinical practice and informing them about preterm birth, possible problems, and developmental consequences as well. Health professionals should be advised to create interventions focusing on both parents to enhance the quality of attachment in parent-child dyads in children born preterm.
| S-EPMC6116993 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Music-making and engagement in music-related activities have shown procognitive benefits for healthy and pathological populations, suggesting reductions in brain aging. A previous brain aging study, using Brain Age Gap Estimation (BrainAGE), showed that professional and amateur-musicians had younger appearing brains than non-musicians. Our study sought to replicate those findings and analyze if musical training or active musical engagement was necessary to produce an age-decelerating effect in a cohort of healthy individuals. We scanned 125 healthy controls and investigated if musician status, and if musical behaviors, namely active engagement (AE) and musical training (MT) [as measured using the Goldsmiths Musical Sophistication Index (Gold-MSI)], had effects on brain aging. Our findings suggest that musician status is not related to BrainAGE score, although involvement in current physical activity is. Although neither MT nor AE subscales of the Gold-MSI are predictive for BrainAGE scores, dispositional resilience, namely the ability to deal with challenge, is related to both musical behaviors and sensitivity to musical pleasure. While the study failed to replicate the findings in a previous brain aging study, musical training and active musical engagement are related to the resilience factor of challenge. This finding may reveal how such musical behaviors can potentially strengthen the brain's resilience to age, which may tap into a type of neurocognitive reserve.
| S-EPMC9945036 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND:The main aim of this study was to quantify the associations between parents' and children's physical activity by age, gender, and the day of the week on the basis of a pedometer-measured step count (SC). METHODS:The sample comprised data from 4-to 16-year-old children and their parents from the Czech Republic (1102 mother-child dyads and 693 father-child dyads). The parents and their children wore the Yamax SW200 pedometer during seven days of monitoring. RESULTS:The strongest SC association was found between mothers and daughters aged 4-7.9 years on weekdays (rp = 0.402; p < 0.01) and at weekends (rp = 0.577; p < 0.01). In children aged 8-16, the parent-child association is gender-specific, with the father-son relationship being dominant, especially at weekends (weekend SC: fathers-sons8-11.9 y rp = 0.416, p < 0.01; fathers-sons12-16 y rp = 0.443, p < 0.01). An increase of 1000 steps in the fathers (mothers) is associated with an increase of more than 400 (200) steps in their sons (daughters). CONCLUSIONS:This study confirms a strong parent-child SC relationship in children younger than eight years of age. In older children, the parent-child SC association is gender-specific and dominated by the father-son relationship, particularly on weekends. The SC associations that are revealed can be used for the development of physical activity programs for adolescents.
| S-EPMC7312858 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Restrictions, social isolation, and uncertainty related to the global COVID-19 pandemic have disrupted the ways that parents and children maintain family routines, health, and wellbeing. Companion animals (pets) can be a critical source of comfort during traumatic experiences, although changes to family routines, such as those caused by COVID-19, can also bring about challenges like managing undesirable pet behaviours or pet-human interactions. We aimed to examine the relationship between pet attachment and mental health for both parents and their children during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. A total of 1,034 parents living with a child under 18 years and a cat or dog completed an online cross-sectional survey between July and October 2020. Path analysis using multivariate linear regression was conducted to examine associations between objective COVID-19 impacts, subjective worry about COVID-19, human-pet attachment, and mental health. After adjusting for core demographic factors, stronger pet-child attachment was associated with greater child anxiety (parent-reported, p < .001). Parent-pet attachment was not associated with self-reported psychological distress (p = .42), however, parents who reported a strong emotional closeness with their pet reported greater psychological distress (p = .002). Findings highlight the role of pets during times of change and uncertainty. It is possible that families are turning to animals as a source of comfort, during a time when traditional social supports are less accessible. Alternatively, strong pet attachment is likely to reflect high levels of empathy, which might increase vulnerability to psychological distress. Longitudinal evidence is required to delineate the mechanisms underpinning pet attachment and mental health.
| S-EPMC9312405 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Time-out is a component of many evidence-based parent training programmes for the treatment of childhood conduct problems. Existing comprehensive reviews suggest that time-out is both safe and effective when used predictably, infrequently, calmly and as one component of a collection of parenting strategies-i.e., when utilised in the manner advocated by most parent training programmes. However, this research evidence has been largely oriented towards the academic community and is often in conflict with the widespread misinformation about time-out within communities of parents, and within groups of treatment practitioners. This dissonance has the potential to undermine the dissemination and implementation of an effective suite of treatments for common and disabling childhood conditions. The parent-practitioner relationship is integral to the success of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), an evidence-based treatment which involves live coaching of parent(s) with their young child(ren). Yet this relationship, and practitioner perspectives, attitudes and values as they relate to time-out, are often overlooked. This practitioner review explores the dynamics of the parent-practitioner relationship as they apply to the teaching and coaching of time-out to parents. It also acknowledges factors within the clinical setting that impact on time-out's use, such as the views of administrators and professional colleagues. The paper is oriented toward practitioners of PCIT but is of relevance to all providers of parent training interventions for young children.
| S-EPMC8750921 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundStudies investigating dietary resemblance between parents and their children have gained mixed results, and the resemblance seems to vary across nutrients, foods, dietary-assessment tools used, and parent-child pairs. We investigated parent-child dietary resemblance using a novel approach in applying statistical analysis, which allowed the comparison of 'whole-diet' between parents and their children. Additionally, we sought to establish whether sociodemographic factors or family meals were associated with dietary resemblance and whether parent-child dietary resemblance was dependent on the parent providing food consumption data on behalf of the child (father or mother, "the respondent").MethodsThe DAGIS study investigated health behaviors among Finnish preschoolers using a cross-sectional design. One parent filled in a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) measuring the child's food consumption outside preschool hours during the last week. In addition, we instructed both parents or legal guardians, should the child have two, to fill in a similar FFQ regarding their own food use. Parents also reported their educational level, the number of children living in the same household, and the number of family meals. As a measure of dietary resemblance between a parent and a child, we computed Spearman correlations ranging mostly from no resemblance (0) to complete resemblance (+ 1) between parent-child pairs over the 'whole-diet' (excluding preschool hours). These resemblance measures were further investigated using linear mixed models.ResultsWe obtained 665 father-child and 798 mother-child resemblance measures. Mother-child resemblance was on average 0.57 and stronger than father-child resemblance (0.50, p < 0.0001), which was explained by a parent-respondent interaction: the diet of the child resembled more the diet of the parent who provided food consumption data for the child. In univariate models, father- and mother-reported number of family meals were positively associated with father-child and mother-child resemblances. Mother-reported number of family meals was positively associated with mother-child resemblance in a full model.ConclusionsThe diet of the child seems to resemble more the diet of the parent responsible for the reporting of food consumption. Studies should report who provided the food consumption data for the child and take this into account in analyses, since reporter-bias can influence the results.
| S-EPMC6031178 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The parent-child relationship is a cornerstone of early childhood development and one-way early childhood programs can have a positive influence on early development is to adopt programmatic features to enhance this relationship. Research supports these conclusions in both U.S. and cross-cultural contexts, even though assumptions about parenting and the parent-child relationship may differ across cultures. However, for true understanding of cultural differences, it is important to have comparable measures across cultures. The purpose of the study is to assess measurement invariance of the two constructs of the Child-parent Relationship Scale using data gathered in programs serving low-income preschool children in the U.S.(n = 4,450) and Turkey (n = 592) from 2014 to 2015. Using Single-group Confirmatory Factor Analysis, the original factor structures of the Turkish and the English versions were tested. Besides, Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis provided evidence for configural, metric, scalar invariance, strict factorial invariance or error variance invariance and construct level invariance across the two versions. Only configural invariance was established, which showed an agreement for the existence of an underlying theoretical construct for each subscale (Conflict and Closeness) of the Turkish and the English versions. However, item CPRS 4 was a non-significant item for Conflict in the Turkish version that affected the possibility to conduct further analyses. Findings encourage researchers to propose and assess cultural and linguistic adaptations for the Child-parent Relationship Scale before cross-cultural comparisons related to family relationships.
| S-EPMC7122811 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been understudied among vulnerable populations. This study aimed to examine the immediate and longer-term changes in the mental health of children with parent-child separation experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, and identify potential buffering opportunities for mental health.MethodsThis longitudinal cohort study used data from 723 rural Chinese children who provided data before (Oct. 2019) the COVID-19 pandemic and during the following 2 years. Changes in the probability of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, non-suicide self-injurious (NSSI), suicidal ideation, suicide plan, and suicide attempt were tested across four waves using generalized estimating models (GEE).ResultsCompared with children who never experienced parent-child separation, children persistently separated from parents since birth experienced greater deterioration in all mental health in the 2-year follow-up (average change: depressive symptoms: β = 0.59, 95% CI [0.26, 0.93]; anxiety symptoms: β = 0.45, 95% CI [0.10, 0.81]; NSSI: β = 0.66, 95% CI [0.31, 1.01]; suicide ideation: β = 0.67, 95% CI [0.38, 0.96]; suicide plan: β = 0.77, 95% CI [0.38, 1.15]; suicide attempt: β = 1.12, 95% CI [0.63, 1.62]). However, children with childhood separation from their parents but reunited with them during the transition to adolescence showed similar even lower changes to counterparts who never experienced parent-child separation (all ps > 0.05).ConclusionThese results indicating improvements in supportiveness of the caregiving environment during the transition to adolescence may provide the opportunity to buffer the adverse impact of COVID-19 on mental health. Translating such knowledge to inform intervention and prevention strategies for youths exposed to adversity is a critical goal for the field.
| S-EPMC10552287 | biostudies-literature