Relationship between Children's Refusal to Hold Hands while Walking and Parental Tendency of Attachment and Caregiving

Abstract

Children's refusal to hold hands (RHH) with their parents while walking may increase the risk of road accidents. We examined the relationship between children's RHH and factors, such as parental tendency of attachment and caregiving, and gender and age of them and their children. A total of 663 parents completed a questionnaire about their children's RHH in two dangerous and two safe situations, assuming they were walking with their youngest children aged between 3 to 10 years. Parents were also instructed to answer the attachment-caregiving balance scale. The gender and age of both parents and their children were recorded. The results of logistic regression analysis showed that the parental tendency of attachment was associated with their children's RHH in both dangerous and safe walking situations. In addition, children's RHH in a safe walking situation was influenced by the parental risk perception. The findings suggest that proper parents' tendency of attachment and caregiving were important for reducing pedestrian-vehicle accidents involving children and promoting their independence.