J Pediatr Nurs. 2025 Nov 3;86:35-43. doi: 10.1016/j.pedn.2025.10.025. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To examine relationships among caregiver burden, parenting competence, and related factors in parents providing home-based care for children with medical complexity.
DESIGN AND METHODS: We used a descriptive correlational, cross-sectional design and conducted path analysis. Convenience sampling was employed via pediatric visiting nurse stations in Kyoto and Shiga, Japan. Self-administered questionnaires were returned by 91 parents. The short version of the Japanese version of the Zarit Burden Interview and the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale were used. Analyses were performed in SPSS v29 and AMOS v29. After assessing all variable correlations, a path analysis was conducted to examine the direct and indirect effects of caregiver burden, parenting satisfaction, self-efficacy, and related variables.
RESULTS: Caregiver burden negatively influenced parenting satisfaction (β = -0.383, p < .001) and was associated with inadequate rest (β = -0.271, p = .006) and shorter sleep duration (β = -0.228, p = .021). Higher medical complexity scores predicted greater parenting satisfaction (β = 0.202, p = .024) but were correlated with providing nighttime care (r = 0.275, p < .001), which reduced sleep duration. Model fit was adequate (goodness-of-fit index = 0.879; comparative fit index = 0.918; root mean square error of approximation = 0.043).
CONCLUSION: Caregiver burden was a key factor affecting parenting competence among parents. Interventions aimed at reducing caregiver burden, such as facilitating adequate sleep and rest, may enhance their parenting competence. Future studies should recruit larger and more diverse samples and use longitudinal designs to increase generalizability and clarify temporal relationships.
PMID:41187357 | DOI:10.1016/j.pedn.2025.10.025
