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Parenting Stress over the First Year of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Diagnosis
Kelly E Rea1, Grace K Cushman2, Adrianna L Westbrook3
1Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, USA.
Insights
Parenting stress in caregivers of children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) decreases over the first year. Caregivers of color and those with children reporting lower quality of life may experience higher stress levels.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric gastroenterology
- Child psychology
- Family medicine
Background:
- Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) diagnosis significantly impacts family dynamics and parental responsibilities.
- Parenting stress is a recognized challenge for caregivers of children with chronic conditions.
- Limited data exists on the trajectory of parenting stress in the first year post-IBD diagnosis and its associated factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine changes in parenting stress over the first year following a child's IBD diagnosis.
- To identify demographic, disease, and psychosocial factors associated with parenting stress over time.
Main Methods:
- Fifty-three caregivers of newly diagnosed pediatric IBD patients completed validated measures of parenting stress, child anxiety, and child health-related quality of life (HRQOL) at diagnosis, 6 months, and 1 year.
- Multilevel longitudinal models were employed to analyze changes in parenting stress and identify predictors.
Main Results:
- Parenting stress was initially correlated with higher child anxiety and lower child HRQOL.
- Caregivers identifying as people of color and caregivers of female children reported higher initial parenting stress.
- Parenting stress showed significant variability and a general decline over the first year, with caregiver race/ethnicity and child HRQOL emerging as significant predictors.
Conclusions:
- Parenting stress generally decreases within the first year after a child's IBD diagnosis.
- Caregivers of color and those reporting lower child HRQOL may be at increased risk for sustained or elevated parenting stress.
- Findings underscore the need for comprehensive, family-centered care approaches in pediatric IBD management.
Objective:
A diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in children can disrupt the family, including altered routines and increased medical responsibilities. This may increase parenting stress; however, little is known about parenting stress changes over the first year following an IBD diagnosis, including what demographic, disease, or psychosocial factors may be associated with parenting stress over time.
Methods:
Fifty-three caregivers of children newly diagnosed with IBD (Mage = 14.17 years; Mdays since diagnosis = 26.15) completed parenting stress (Pediatric Inventory for Parents), child anxiety (Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Disorders), and child health-related quality of life (HRQOL; IMPACT) measures within 1 month of diagnosis and 6-month and 1-year follow-ups. Multilevel longitudinal models assessed change and predictors of parenting stress.
Results:
Parenting stress was significantly associated with greater child anxiety and lower HRQOL at diagnosis (rs = 0.27 to -0.53). Caregivers of color and caregivers of female youth reported higher parenting stress at diagnosis (ts = 2.02-3.01). Significant variability and declines in parenting stress were observed across time (ts = -2.28 and -3.50). In final models, caregiver race/ethnicity and child HRQOL were significantly related to parenting stress over the first year of diagnosis (ts = -2.98 and -5.97).
Conclusion:
Caregivers' parenting stress decreases across 1 year of diagnosis. However, caregivers of color and those rating their child's HRQOL as lower may be at risk for greater parenting stress. More research is needed to understand why caregivers of color reported greater parenting stress compared to White caregivers. Results highlight the importance of providing whole-family care when a child is diagnosed with IBD.
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