Abstract
This study was conducted to clarify feelings of difficulty with child-rearing and relevant factors among mothers with a baby at the age of 2-3months. The subjects were 167 (valid response rate 34.9%) mothers living in A city whose infants were born between December 2011 and November 2012 (two to three months old at the time of survey). An anonymous self-administered questionnaire was used. Questionnaire items consisted of demographic data, "feelings of difficulty with child-rearing (feeling of difficulty)," and factors of mother, child, father and family. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed with "feelings of difficulty" as the dependent variable and the items which had a significant difference in the average of "feelings of difficulty" between the two categories per item as the independent variables to examine the relevant factors. Five items were relevant to "feelings of difficulty" -Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score of 9 or more, weak bonding, financial difficulties of the family, disagreements over child-rearing, and absence of someone with whom to consult freely about child rearing. These items can be used to examine the support of child-rearing for mothers experiencing "feelings of difficulty".
