Validation Of Chinese Parenting Confidence Scale And The Relationship Between Maternal Parenting Confidence And Mother-infant Attachment

ObjectiveTo evaluate the reliability and validity of Chinese version of Karitane Parenting Confidence Scale(KPCS)among 0-12 month-old Chinese infants'mother;to understand the current status of parenting confidence and mother-infant attachment;to characterize the associated factors that affect mother-infant attachment;to explore the correlation between maternal parenting confidence and mother-infant attachment.MethodsThis study included two parts:study on reliability and validity of Chinese version of KPCS and study on the relationship between maternal parenting confidence and mother-infant attachment.In the first part,a total of 165 mothers of infants aged 0-12 months in Beijing and Maanshan were recruited.Self-administered questionnaires and the Chinese version of KPCS were used to collect social demographic information and evaluate the status of maternal parenting confidence.A sample of 30 mothers was randomly selected for retesting with the Chinese version of KPCS 2 weeks later.Item analysis was conducted to select items by using critical value and correlation coefficient;the reliability analysis was assessed by Cronbach's a coefficient,the split-half reliability coefficient and rest-retest reliability coefficient;the construct validity was assessed by exploratory factor analysis and the criterion validity was assessed by being compared with the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale(PSOC)and Self-efficacy in Infant Care Scale(SICS).In the second part,179 mother-infant pairs in four city-level Maternal and Child Health Care Hospitals(Qingdao,Chongqing,Liuzhou,Maanshan)were recruited.Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect social demographic information;standardized scales were used to assess maternal depression and parenting confidence,infant temperament type and developmental stages,nurture environment and mother-infant attachment.Single factor analysis and partial least squares regression model were conducted to examine the effects of maternal psychological characteristics,infant characteristics and nurture environment on mother-infant attachment.The path analysis was used to explore the relationship between maternal parenting confidence and mother-infant attachment.Results1.Study on reliability and validity of Chinese version of KPCSThe Cronbach's a coefficient of the Chinese version of KPCS was 0.769,the test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.817,and the split-half reliability coefficient was 0.789.Three factors labeled parenting,support,and sense of competence,were obtained by exploratory factor analysis which accounting for 49.52%of the total variance.PSOC and SICS were used to test its criterion validity,and the total score of KPCS was significantly correlated with the total score of PSOC and SICS(r=0.381,0.345).The Chinese version of KPCS showed acceptable reliability and validity.2.Study on the correlation between maternal parenting confidence and mother-infant attachment(1)The maternal parenting confidence mean score was 40.87±3.62,and 26.8%of mothers were lack of parenting confidence.The mother-infant attachment mean score was 61.01 ±6.87,and the insecure attachment accounts for 8.9%.(2)The results of single factor analysis showed there was a significant difference in the levels of mother-infant attachment between different ethnic groups,location and whether mothers attended parenting training.There was a significant relationship between mother-infant attachment score and maternal parenting confident score,maternal depression score,infant temperament scores(regularity,persistence,sensitivity)and infant communication development score,nurture environment scores(perception/cognition,emotional warmth,neglect/resistant,interaction/feeding),and the correlation coefficient r was-0.183-0.528(P<0.05).(3)The partial least squares regression analysis showed the ethnic groups,whether mothers attended parenting training,maternal parenting confidence,maternal depression,infant communication development,infant temperament(regularity,sensitivity)and nurture environment(perception/cognition,emotional warmth,neglect/resistant,interaction/feeding)were associated factors affecting mother-infant attachment.Maternal parenting confidence(standardized ? was 0.118)and nurture environment(standardized ? was 0.142,0.136,0.115 and 0.114 respectively)had more contributions in explaining the mother-infant attachment variance.(4)Path analysis model results showed that the model was well fitted,?2=65.441,P=0.356,?2/df=1.056,IFI=0.991,TLI=0.989,CFI=0.991,RMSEA=0.020,AIC=149.441.Maternal parenting confidence had a direct effect on mother-infant attachment,and nurture environment was a mediating variable for the effect of maternal parenting confidence on mother-infant attachment.The total effect of confidence on attachment was 0.405,in which the direct effect was 0.287,and the indirect effect through nurture environment was 0.118,and the mediating effect accounted for 29.13%.ConclusionsThe Chinese version of the Karitane Parenting Confidence Scale had a good reliability and validity among the 0-12 month-old infants' mother,which could be used to evaluate the parenting confidence of infant caregivers.Maternal parenting confidence and depression,infant communication development and temperament in regularity and sensitivity,nurture environment were all closely related to mother-infant attachment.Maternal parenting confidence has a direct effect on mother-infant attachment,and could also affect mother-infant attachment through the mediation effect of the nurture environment.