This study examines in child-rearing groups and the activities of the groups based on a survey on 445 mothers with infants three to four months of age, living in metropolitan Tokyo and the southern part of Saitama prefecture.
Major findings were in the following :
1.Some 10% of subjects participated in child-rearing groups. Most of them had older children and participated for under three years. Some 30% of non-participating mothers wanted to join such groups.
2. The groups, which most of mothers participated in were spontaneously formal on the basis of neighborhood relationships. The members met at least once a week or month at a member's home or at a public facility. They had little contact with public office or health care professionals. When they met, they played together, exchanged information, discussed, and advised one another. Assembling under a leader, their members were relatively fixed. Thus, most child-rearing groups were of a self-help nature.
3. In comparison to non-participants, participants were less susceptible to physical discomfort, loss of vitality, on closer terms with neighbors, and received greater mental support from their husbands and practical help in child-rearing from their friends and neighbors. Furthermore, they assumed positive attitudes toward the group activities and wanted to remain as a members. Thus, it appeared that group activities for child-rearing could provide ongoing resources for problemsolving in the local community.
4. At present, health care professionals develop and support child-rearing groups. Yet, our present investigation suggests that this support should be extended to those spontaneously formed group s as well. It is desirable that public health centers collect and provide information on local groups according to their needs make their resouces and expertise accessible to those groups.
[J.J.H.E.P, 1995; 2: 17-26]
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