2017 Volume 31 Issue 2 Pages 120-129
Purpose
Support for child-rearing mothers is an important issue to be addressed, but few studies have longitudinally examined changes in the physical and mental conditions of mothers who are the recipients of such support. This study aimed to clarify on a continuous basis the physical and mental conditions of mothers of children in Japan in order to determine factors that affect confidence in child-care among mothers.
Methods
We surveyed, with appropriate ethical considerations, 700 mothers of three-month-old children using a self-reporting questionnaire, and performed follow-up surveys at the 18-month and 36-month points. We surveyed confidence in child-care (presence/absence), the short-form Child-care Happiness Scale (three subscales), the short-form Child-care Stress Scale (three subscales), and the cumulative fatigue symptoms index (seven subscales), and data were statistically analyzed.
Results
Of the 700 mothers, 297 (42.4%) participated in all three surveys. Mean age of mothers at three months after delivery was 32 years. “Child-care happiness” and “appreciation towards the husband” were lower and “bonding with the children” was higher when the children were three-months, 18-months, and 36-months old. With respect to child-care stress, “lack of support from the husband” was high, and “fatigue of mind and body” decreased with time. No significant change was observed for “child-care anxiety.” Within the CFSI, “general fatigue” was lower and “irritation” was higher when the children were three-months and 36-months old, and “depression” was higher when they were 18-months old. While confidence in child-care among mothers did no significantly change up to when the children were 36-months old, it was consistently associated with the effects of “Child-care happiness” and “child-care anxiety” on child-care confidence.
Conclusion
As children grew, bonding between the mother and children strengthened, and while fatigue decreased, other types of child-care stress and cumulative fatigue increased. Thus, contrary to the child's development, the mental and physical conditions of mothers deteriorated. In midst of the wavering relationship with and support from the husband, our findings highlight the importance of support that increases mothers' confidence in child-care as their children grow.
