Study On The Influence Of Parents' Parenting Attitude And Marriage Quality On Infant Development

Objectives:Parents are very crucial to their children. Parenting is one thing full of stress for parents. According to the theory of cognition, feeling of high levels of parenting stress may result from parents' reasonless perspective on parenting, which may bring on negative parenting behaviors and outcomes. It has become very clear that parents' marriage quality is associated with their offspring's development, but there are few studies which discuss the marriage quality's influence on infant. Infant usually grows quickly and totally depends on the environment, which make them more sensitive to environment. The purpose of this study is to investigate and analyze parents' parenting attitude and marriage quality's effects on infant development, so as to provide some references to develop effective nursing interventions to promote children's well-being in community. Methods:Questionnaires consisting of "Parenting Attitude Questionnaire" and "Marital Adjustment Test" were distributed to a convenient sample of 110 pairs of newly parents who just had their babies within one week to investigate their parenting attitude and marriage quality. When the babies were two months old and some of babies were six to eight months old, their developments were tested. One way analysis of variance, linear regression and multiple linear regression were used to filter variances and control confounding factors to explore the affect of parents' parenting attitude and marriage quality on infant development. Results:Most (approximately 70%) of the 110 pairs of parents were rational when they were thinking of parenting. But there were still about 20% parents who had someinappropriate parenting attitudes. Mothers didn't score differently with fathers on four sub-dimensionalities of parenting attitude significantly, but when talking to "communication with surrounding people", fathers apparently want to communicate with others more. Results of analysis of the correlative factors with parenting attitude revealed that: parents' parenting attitudes were related to age, marriage quality and family structure. Moreover, the influences of these factors were mainly concentrated in father, which indicated that fathers were more likely to have inappropriate parenting attitude. Multiple linear regression suggested that: parents' parenting attitude and marriage quality have no statistically influences on infant's physical development, but effected infant's mental development significantly, and it is mother's parenting attitude and marriage quality that influence infant's mental development mainly. Properly positive attitude of mother toward parenting was helpful to the 6-to-8-month infant's psychomotor development (B = -3.945, p=0.002 ) ,there was no significantly independent influence that other sub-dimensionalities of parenting attitude had on infant's development. Either for mother or for father, difference of parenting attitude between father and mother could serve as an important independent predictor of infant's metal development of its second month. The less difference of parenting attitude exist between the parents, the better their kid would develop (father and mother respectively: B=-0.264* p=0.000;B =-0.229, p=0.002) .Marriage quality of mother had significant impact on infant's mental development during two periods, which respectively were the second month (B=0.101, p=0.029) and 6-to-8 month (B=0.128 , p= 0.000). Marriage quality of mother also exerted significant impact on infant's psychomotor development during 6-to-8 month. The higher score the mother achieved in marital adjustment, the better her infant developed in mental and psychomotor aspects. Father's situation in maritaladjustment had some impacts on 6-to-8-month infant's psychomotor development (B=3.367 , p= 0.034) .Excellent marital adjustment of father would contribute to the infant's psychomotor development. Conclusions:Some parents didn't have comprehensive parenting cognition and possessed of reasonless and undue attitude toward parenting in some dimensionalities, which exert negative impact on their infant's mental health. The differences in attitudes towards parenting between the couple also had negative influence on the infant's mental health. Therefore, it is necessary to know about the couple's attitude toward parenting, estimate if there is improper attitudes and make sure to rectify them in time. Only through these, negative influences of the couple's reasonless parenting attitudes would have on their infant's development can be prevented at advance. On the other hand, couple should be educated to enhance their communication and coordination and try to reach concert. When conducting estimation and prevention, sex, marriage quality and family structure should be considered. Since babyhood of their baby, couple's marriage quality has had obviously impact on their baby's development. High quality marriage is favorable to the mental development of the infant. Summarily, efforts should be made to raise awareness of influence that parents' marriage quality exerts to children's development. Couples should receive the education on how to strengthen the tie between couple as early as in premarital or early parenting period.