Factors affecting attitudes toward care of elderly mothers

In this study, we aimed to examine the factors that affect people's attitudes toward parental care. Previous qualitative studies present several factors that affect the decision of adult children of whether to take care of elderly parents or send them to a nursing home when they become fragile and need daily help. In the present study, we included affection, filial obligation, sekentei (i.e., wanting to keep an appearance of taking care), and other factors presented in previous studies.

In May 2001, we mailed a questionnaire to females in their 30s who live in an agricultural area of K. City, Saitama Prefecture in Japan. We asked the respondents whether they would take care of their mothers or mothers-in-law, or send the mothers to a nursing home when the mothers need 24-hour care in the near future.

Logistic regression analysis revealed that filial obligation and sekentei affected attitude toward care in the case of a mother while affection did in the case of a mother-in-law.

These results suggest that women who do not have intimate feelings towards their mothers-in-law may choose not be a caregiver. On the other hand, women may take care of their mothers, whatever feelings they have because of the blood-relation. Also it may be that in such a small agricultural area, sekentei affects people's conduct, even if it is a private matter, such as caring an elderly mother.