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Prematurity and parental self-efficacy: the Preterm Parenting & Self-Efficacy Checklist

Claire Pennell1, Koa Whittingham, Roslyn Boyd

  • 1School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Australia.

Infant Behavior & Development
|September 18, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Parental self-efficacy in parents of preterm infants was assessed using a new, validated measure. Contrary to expectations, preterm infants' parents showed similar self-efficacy and psychological symptoms compared to term infants' parents.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Neonatal Care
  • Parenting Research

Background:

  • Limited research exists on parental self-efficacy in parents of preterm infants.
  • Existing measures of parental self-efficacy lack domain specificity and theoretical grounding for this population.
  • Parental self-efficacy is crucial for navigating the challenges of parenting preterm infants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare parental self-efficacy in parents of term, preterm, and very preterm infants.
  • To develop and validate a domain-specific measure of parental self-efficacy for preterm infants.
  • To investigate whether parental self-efficacy mediates the relationship between psychological symptoms and parental competence.

Main Methods:

  • Development and validation of the Preterm Parenting & Self-Efficacy Checklist.
  • 155 parents (very preterm, preterm, term infants) completed the new checklist and other psychological measures.
  • Statistical analyses examined group differences and mediation effects.

Main Results:

  • The Preterm Parenting & Self-Efficacy Checklist demonstrated adequate validity and reliability.
  • No significant differences were found in overall parental self-efficacy or psychological symptoms between parents of very preterm, preterm, and term infants.
  • Parental self-efficacy significantly mediated the relationship between psychological symptoms and perceived parental competence.

Conclusions:

  • The developed checklist is a reliable and valid tool for assessing parental self-efficacy in preterm populations.
  • Parental self-efficacy plays a mediating role in the connection between parental psychological distress and competence.
  • Findings suggest a need for targeted support to bolster parental self-efficacy in caring for preterm infants.

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