Impact of Poverty on Parent–Child Relationships, Parental Stress, and Parenting Practices

Frontiers in Public Health

article

Laurie Long Kwan Ho¹  William Ho Cheung Li¹  Ankie Tan Cheung¹  Yuanhui Luo²  Wei Xia³  Joyce Oi Kwan Chung⁴ 

[1]The Nethersole School of Nursing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

[2]Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University

[3]School of Nursing, The Sun Yat-Sen University of Medical Sciences

[4]School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

关键词: poverty;    parent–child relationship;    parental stress;    parenting practices;    harsh parenting;    preschool children;    nurse;    primary care;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpubh.2022.849408

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Objectives: To explore the impact of poverty on parent–child relationships, parental stress and parenting practices. Design A mixed methods study. Sample Four hundred and eighty five Hong Kong Chinese parents who had children aged 3-6 years, and who were from low-income families. Eleven of these parents were randomly selected for individual semi-structured interviews. Measurements A sociodemographic questionnaire, the parent–child relationship score, the Parental Stress Scale and the Perceived Parental Aggression Scale. Results The parents were found to have an impaired relationship with their children. The findings indicated that employment status, parental stress and harsh parenting were significantly associated with parent–child relationships. The qualitative findings revealed that parents from low-income families encountered a wide range of difficulties, which made these parents more likely to experience parental stress, thereby increasing their tendency to adopt harsh parenting practices that undermined parent–child relationships. Conclusion This study sheds light on the associations between parent–child relationships, parental stress and parenting practices in low-income families. These findings will enhance nurses' understanding of the impact of poverty on parent–child relationships, and highlight the need for nurses to ensure that underprivileged parents and their children receive adequate primary care to prevent the development of psychological problems in this vulnerable group.

【 授权许可】

CC BY