TY - JOUR
T1 - Marital and parenting satisfaction and infant care self-efficacy during the transition to parenthood
T2 - The effect of infant sex
AU - Elek, Susan M.
AU - Brage Hudson, Diane
AU - Bouffard, Carla
N1 - Funding Information:
Received 16 July 2002; accepted 21 October 2002. This study was supported in part by a grant from the Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health (1 R15 NR04225-01). Address correspondence to Dr. Susan M. Elek, College of Nursing, Department of Parent Child Health Nursing, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, PO Box 210038, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0038, USA.
PY - 2003
Y1 - 2003
N2 - The purpose of this follow-up study was to examine the effect of infant sex on changes in and differences between parents' reports of infant care self-efficacy and parenting and marital satisfaction from 4 months to 12 months after the birth of their first child. A convenience sample of 32 couples was selected from 44 couples who participated in a longitudinal study of the development of parenting satisfaction and infant care self-efficacy during the first 4 months after the birth of a first child (Brage Hudson, Elek, & Fleck, 2001). Couples completed a demographic questionnaire, the Infant Care Survey (ICS, Froman & Owen, 1989), the What Being the Parent of a New Baby is Like - Revised Questionnaire (WPBL-R, Pridham & Chang, 1989), and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS, Spanier, 1976, 1989) 4 and 12 months postpartum. Infant care self-efficacy, but not parenting satisfaction, increased from 4 to 12 months; mothers reported higher infant care self-efficacy and parenting satisfaction than fathers at both times. Fathers of boys reported greater parenting satisfaction and infant care self-efficacy at 12 months than fathers of girls. Marital satisfaction decreased from 4 to 12 months for both mothers and fathers. Significant relationships existed among infant care self-efficacy, parenting satisfaction, and marital satisfaction at both 4 and 12 months postpartum. Implications for families and for nursing interventions are discussed.
AB - The purpose of this follow-up study was to examine the effect of infant sex on changes in and differences between parents' reports of infant care self-efficacy and parenting and marital satisfaction from 4 months to 12 months after the birth of their first child. A convenience sample of 32 couples was selected from 44 couples who participated in a longitudinal study of the development of parenting satisfaction and infant care self-efficacy during the first 4 months after the birth of a first child (Brage Hudson, Elek, & Fleck, 2001). Couples completed a demographic questionnaire, the Infant Care Survey (ICS, Froman & Owen, 1989), the What Being the Parent of a New Baby is Like - Revised Questionnaire (WPBL-R, Pridham & Chang, 1989), and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS, Spanier, 1976, 1989) 4 and 12 months postpartum. Infant care self-efficacy, but not parenting satisfaction, increased from 4 to 12 months; mothers reported higher infant care self-efficacy and parenting satisfaction than fathers at both times. Fathers of boys reported greater parenting satisfaction and infant care self-efficacy at 12 months than fathers of girls. Marital satisfaction decreased from 4 to 12 months for both mothers and fathers. Significant relationships existed among infant care self-efficacy, parenting satisfaction, and marital satisfaction at both 4 and 12 months postpartum. Implications for families and for nursing interventions are discussed.
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U2 - 10.1080/01460860390183065
DO - 10.1080/01460860390183065
M3 - Article
C2 - 12623734
AN - SCOPUS:0038072958
SN - 0146-0862
VL - 26
SP - 45
EP - 57
JO - Comprehensive Child and Adolescent Nursing
JF - Comprehensive Child and Adolescent Nursing
IS - 1
ER -