Parenting Stress and Maternal-Child Interactions Among Preschool Mothers From the Philippines, Korea, and Vietnam: A Cross-Sectional, Comparative Study

Abstract

Background: To promote child development, parenting stress, and maternal-child interactions among mothers of various nationalities must be understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate maternal-child interactions according to the mother's nationality among married immigrant mothers from the Philippines, Vietnam, and Korea. Method: This study employed a descriptive, cross-sectional design. Inclusion criteria were mothers who had children of preschool age. Results: A total of 348 mothers were interviewed: 142 Korean mothers, 84 immigrant mothers from the Philippines, and 122 immigrant mothers from Vietnam. Parenting stress (p < .001) and maternal-child interactions (p = .023) differed according to the mother's nationality. Conclusions: By delineating the nurturing characteristics of each country, the results of this study can help immigrant mothers develop maternal-child relationships that aid culturally congruent adjustment to their new culture. Implications for practice: The characteristics of maternal-child interactions according to the mother's nationality may inform parent education in multicultural societies.