Association between social support and child abuse potential in Japanese mothers

Objectives Child abuse is a global public health problem and a serious social issue in Japan. Social support is beneficial for parents faced with childrearing challenges. The aims of this study were: 1) to clarify the... [ view full abstract ]

Objectives
Child abuse is a global public health problem and a serious social issue in Japan. Social support is beneficial for parents faced with childrearing challenges. The aims of this study were: 1) to clarify the association between social support and child abuse potential; and 2) to clarify the association between socio-demographic factors and child abuse potential.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted in Nagasaki, Japan using a structured questionnaire. The target population was mothers of children at nine public nursery schools. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the effects of socio-demographic, social support and psychological distress factors on child abuse potential.
Results
Among 309 mothers, 29 (9.4%) had a high child abuse potential score. Bivariate analysis indicated that mothers with a high child abuse potential score were more likely to be unmarried (P = 0.014), living in single-female-parent households (P = 0.009), have their husbands’ support (P < 0.001), have low perceived economic status (P < 0.001), have low educational attainment (P = 0.022), have a low Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) score (P < 0.001), and/or a high General Health Questionnaire-12 score (P < 0.001). Important predictors of child abuse potential among the mothers surveyed included living in single-female-parent households (odds ratio [OR] = 3.1, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1 − 8.7), low perceived economic status (OR = 6.7, 95% CI: 2.2 − 20.3), and low MSPSS score (OR = 3.9, 95% CI: 1.1 – 13.8).
Conclusions
Improving social support approaches that help mothers build social support relationships and ease them into child rearing in a psychologically healthy condition is recommended to prevent child abuse.