Objectives: To study the moderating effect of mother-child relationship in the association between maternal parenting stress and emotional and behavioral problems in preschool children, and to provide reference for the prevention and control of emotional and behavioral problems in preschool children.
Methods: Using a stratified cluster sampling method, 2 049 preschool children were surveyed from November to December 2021, who sampled from 12 kindergartens in Wuhu City, Anhui Province. The emotional and behavioral problems of preschool children were assessed with the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationship of maternal parenting stress and mother-child relationship with children's emotional and behavioral problems. The PROCESS Macro was used to analyze the moderating effect of conflicted and dependent mother-child relationships in the association between maternal parenting stress and emotional and behavioral problems in these preschool children.
Results: Among these preschool children, maternal parenting stress was positively correlated with the scores of emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, and peer problems subscales and total difficulty scores (P<0.001); intimate mother-child relationships were negatively correlated with the scores of conduct problems, hyperactivity, and peer problems subscales and total difficulty scores (P<0.001); conflicted and dependent mother-child relationships were positively correlated with the scores of emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, and peer problems subscales and total difficulty scores (P<0.001). After controlling for relevant confounding factors, conflicted mother-child relationship (β=0.05, P=0.001) and dependent mother-child relationship (β=0.04, P=0.012) were found to have a moderating effect on the association between maternal parenting stress and total difficulty scores in these preschool children.
Conclusions: Negative mother-child relationships play a moderating role in the association between maternal parenting stress and emotional and behavioral problems in preschool children. Prevention of emotional and behavioral problems in preschool children should focus on reducing maternal parenting stress and improving negative mother-child relationships.
目的: 探讨母子关系在母亲养育压力与学龄前儿童情绪行为问题关联中的调节作用，为学龄前儿童情绪行为问题的防控提供参考。方法: 采用分层整群抽样方法，于2021年11—12月抽取安徽省芜湖市共12所幼儿园2 049名学龄前儿童作为研究对象。采用儿童优势与困难问卷（Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire）评估学龄前儿童的情绪行为问题。采用Pearson相关分析评估母亲养育压力、母子关系与儿童情绪行为问题之间的关联。采用PROCESS插件分析母子关系在母亲养育压力与学龄前儿童情绪行为问题关联中的调节作用。结果: 母亲养育压力与学龄前儿童情绪症状、品行问题、多动问题、同伴交往问题4个维度得分及困难总分均呈正相关（P<0.001）；亲密性母子关系与学龄前儿童品行问题、多动问题、同伴交往问题3个维度得分及困难总分均呈负相关（P<0.001）；冲突性母子关系和依赖性母子关系与学龄前儿童情绪症状、品行问题、多动问题、同伴交往问题4个维度得分及困难总分均呈正相关（P<0.001）。控制相关混杂因素后，冲突性母子关系（β=0.05，P=0.001）及依赖性母子关系（β=0.04，P=0.012）在母亲养育压力与学龄前儿童情绪行为问题困难总分关联中均存在调节作用。结论: 不良母子关系在母亲养育压力与学龄前儿童情绪行为问题间起调节作用，应从减少母亲养育压力和改善不良母子关系两个方面来预防学龄前儿童情绪行为问题的发生。.
Keywords: Emotional and behavioral problem; Moderating effect; Mother-child relationship; Parenting stress; Preschool child.