Association between behavioral problems and parenting stress in preschool children / 中国实用护理杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective@#To analyze the relationship between parenting stress in parents and behavioral problems in preschool children, to provide scientific basis for prevention and intervention of preschool children′s behavioral problems.@*Methods@#A sample of 208 preschool children were selected from Changsha. Parents were invited to complete the Conners Child Behavior Checklist (Parent Question) and Parenting Stress Index (PSI).@*Results@#The proportion of preschool children with behavioral problems in this surveyed sample was 19.71% (41/208). The rate of higher level parenting stress was 19.71% (41/208). Total parenting stress scores in preschool children with behavioral problems were 83.46±16.76, which were higher than the scores 77.07±15.02 in those without behavioral problems (t=-2.38, P<0.05), and difficult child scales stress score in preschool children with behavioral problems were 29.95±6.44, which were higher than the scores 26.71±6.10 in those without behavioral problems (t=-3.02, P<0.05). Total parenting stress scores was positively related with each of dimension of behavioral problems (r=0.14-0.42, P<0.05 or 0.01).@*Conclusion@#The behavioral problems is positively related with parenting stress in preschool children. Therefore, the parents of preschool children should adjust their parenting stress, so as to create a warm growing environment for their children, thus reducing the behavioral problems of preschool children.