Family Stress and Functioning in Children: the Moderating Effects of Children''s Beliefs About Their Control Over Parental Conflict

While factors such as gender and SES have been studied as moderators of stress for children, their perceptions of control have received little attention. In the current study, children's domain-specific perceptions of their control during marital conflict were investigated as potential moderators of the impact of family stress on children's behavior problems, and perceptions of competence. Ninety-four children aged 6-12 years and mothers from families ranging in level of parental conflict from nondiscordant to discordant to physically violent were interviewed. Multiple regression analyses revealed that higher levels of conflict control beliefs acted as compensatory moderators of stress, being associated with lower levels of problem behaviors across stress levels. However, higher conflict control beliefs acted as vulnerability moderators with regard to children's perceptions of competence.     

Parents Expectations and Child Rearing Practices in Hong Kong

This paper reports on some aspects of interactions of parents with their children in Hong Kong. In particular some of the child rearing practices and their educational implications are presented. The study is an interview based research project in which 130 parents of children between the ages of birth-12 years gave their views about a range of issues including what they want for their child (expectations), how they discipline their child, who the parent goes to for advice on child rearing, how much homework the child does each day. The paper sheds some light on the difficult task of rearing children in a situation where traditional family practices are changing and where pre-schools and schools work in very formal ways.     

Obesity of Czech children and adolescents: relation to parental obesity and socioeconomic factors

The purpose of this study was to estimate the change in overweight and obesity prevalence and the influence of socioeconomic status and parental obesity on overweight and obesity of children and adolescents in the Czech Republic. The roles of family history of obesity, dietary factors and physical activity were evaluated. The quota sample of 1,417 children and adolescents aged 6.00–17.99 years was examined in November 2005 as a part of the survey Lifestyle and Obesity. The quota sample was nationally representative, and subjects were selected according to the gender, age, region, size of residential location and education of parents. In the subjects weight, height and waist circumferences were measured and BMI was calculated. Food intake and physical activity were estimated by food frequency and physical activity questionnaires. The results were compared with the data from the 6th National Anthropological Survey of Children and Adolescents 2001, the Czech Republic. The data was evaluated by Pearson’s chi-square test and by linear regression analysis with backward factor reduction. Enhancing prevalence of obesity was found in younger age categories in comparison with the year 2001. Parental overweight and obesity significantly increased the risk of overweight and obesity. BMI in children (6–12.99 years) was associated with the intake of sweetened carbonated drinks and potatoes including fried ones (positive association) and low-sugar carbonated drinks and physical activity (negative association). In adolescents (13–17.99 years) BMI was associated with parental obesity, fat meat intake, time spent on the computer (positive association) and fish intake and physical activity (negative association). The results show an increase in obesity prevalence in younger children in the Czech Republic. Parental obesity significantly enhanced the risk ratio of obesity predominantly in adolescents.     

大学生抑郁障碍与父母教养方式的关系

目的探讨父母教养方式和生活事件与大学生抑郁障碍的关系,为家庭教育提供指导。方法应用父母教养方式评价量表(EMBU)与青少年生活事件量表(ASLEC)对30名患抑郁障碍的大学生和30名正常对照进行调查。结果两组学生在生活事件量表总分;父母情感温暖、理解;惩罚、严厉;拒绝、否认;过度保护等方面有显著性差异,患者组母亲还表现出较强的过分干涉(P<0.05)。结论父母教养方式影响着大学生的情绪和对生活事件的态度,不良的教养方式会增加大学生发生抑郁障碍的可能。     

Perceived adherence to prescribed treatment in juvenile idiopathic arthritis over a one‐year period

Objective

To document perceived adherence to treatment (taking medications and performing exercises) in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) over a 1‐year period and to identify related factors.

Methods

We surveyed parents of patients with JIA at the Montreal Children's Hospital and British Columbia's Children's Hospital in Vancouver. Parents were asked to respond to a series of questionnaires every 3 months over a 12‐month period. Perceived adherence was evaluated on a 100‐mm visual analog scale (VAS) in the Parent Adherence Report Questionnaire (PARQ). Parental coping, distress, child function, disease severity and duration, perceived helpfulness of treatment, problems encountered, and sociodemographic data were also assessed.

Results

The mean age of our sample of 175 children was 10.2 years; mean age at diagnosis was 6.1 years and mean disease duration was 4.1 years. Perceived adherence to medications was consistently high, with average adherence at baseline, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months being 86.1, 91.7, 90.4, 92.0, and 88.8, respectively, on the PARQ VAS. Perceived adherence to exercise was lower but remained steady, with corresponding means of 54.5, 64.1, 61.2, 63.0, and 54.3, respectively. Using generalized estimating equation analysis, factors associated with higher perceived adherence to medications included perceived helpfulness of medications and lower disease severity; those associated with higher perceived adherence to exercise were younger age of the child, child involvement in responsibility for treatment, and higher perceived helpfulness of the treatment.

Conclusion

Belief in helpfulness of treatment is associated with higher parental perceived adherence to treatment.     

Mother and father involvement in day care centers serving infants and young toddlers

This study compared the involvement of 28 mothers and their spouses in day care centers serving infants and toddlers. The sample consisted of parents who work at varying distances from the center. Parents were interviewed ten times each to determine the amount of time they spend in the center, frequency of communication with care providers, mid-day visits to the center, playing with the child, and holding the child in the center. Factor analysis reduced these variables to one parental involvement factor. Mothers were significantly more involved than fathers in the center, after statistically controlling for distance to the workplace and occupational status.     

Advancing Nursing Practice with a Unit-based Clinical Expert

Objective: To explore patterns in the practice of nursing and patient outcomes.
Design: Qualitative field research.
Population, Sample, Setting: Populations were critical care nurses and critically ill adult patients in the 10-bed medical critical care unit of a 900-bed teaching hospital. A convenience-purposive sample of 27 nurses and 31 patients was studied in 1985.
Methods: Six months of participant observation, unstructured interviews, and the constant comparison method of grounded theory.
Findings: Markedly different patterns were found in expert and nonexpert practice. The substantive theory of conversion helped explain how the majority of nonexpert nurses advanced their practice. The metaphor of catalyzed conversion captures how a unit-based expert nurse serves as a catalyst to advance the practice of nonexperts. Presence, defined as the way of being within a given clinical context, differentiated nurses.
Conclusions: (a) Expert and nonexpert practices are substantively different, (b) Expert and nonexpert practice results in different patient outcomes, (c) Conversion helps explain changes in nonexpert practice.
Clinical Implications: A unit-based expert nurse can increase patient-focused care.     

男性抢劫罪犯的人格特征及其与父母教养方式的相关性研究

目的：通过对男性抢劫罪犯的人格特征，父母教养方式及二者之间的相关性的分析。探讨早期教育及家庭因素对人格发展的影响，从而为干预和预防犯罪提供依据。方法：使用“艾森克人格问卷”“父母养育方式问卷”对113名男性抢劫罪犯及97名正常男性进行对照分析。结果：EPQ显示抢劫罪犯的精神质与神经均高于对照组，而EMBU显示父母偏爱、拒绝，过度保护、处罚严厉等各因子分均明显高于对照组，而父母的惩罚、严厉、拒绝等与精神质、神经质呈显著负相关。结论，不正确的父母养育方式是人格偏差，以致于从事犯罪的危险因素。