Page 408 - Encyclopedia of Nursing Research

PAReNTING ReSeARCH IN NURSING n 375

parent–child interactions and attachment. adolescent, and young adult child (Riesch
Parental influences on development of et al., 2010). Much of this research has looked
high-risk infants have also been identified at parental perceptions of the child or paren- P
through longitudinal studies. Recently, tal effects on child outcomes, such as obesity
nurse researchers have tested a number of or substance abuse, rather than parenting per
intervention studies for this population, se. However, discipline as an aspect of par-
including support programs in the inten- enting has received attention. This research
sive care unit and home visiting programs has examined the effects of maternal employ-
(Pridham et al., 2010). ment, maternal depression, supports for par-
Another focus of nursing research has enting, and issues involved in parenting by
been on parents of acute and chronically grandparents, parenting after divorce or
ill children (Anderson et al., 2010). Studies during period of partner conflict, parenting
on the experiences of parents of acutely ill during maternal chronic illness, or parent-
children have explored parental emotional ing after the death of a spouse. In addition,
responses, participation in care, and stress nurse researchers have begun to study eth-
during hospitalization (Youngblut, 1998). nic differences in parenting. However, only
Several interventions aimed at reducing very limited research has examined parent-
stress and supporting parenting have been ing with siblings.
conducted. Studies of parents of children Problematic parenting has been another
with chronic illnesses or developmental dis- focus of nursing research. Recently, research-
abilities have focused largely on the impact ers have begun to explore the effect of child
of the child’s diagnosis, stressors associated behavioral and psychiatric conditions, such
with treatments and repeated hospitaliza- as attention deficit disorder, conduct dis-
tions, and parental management of the ill- order, autism spectrum disorder, and schizo-
ness (Miles, 2003). A small but important phrenia, on parents and parenting. Studies
body of descriptive research about parents’ have also examined the impact of maternal
relationships with nurses and other health mental health problems or substance abuse
care providers demonstrates the power- on parenting and parents who are abusive
ful role nurses have in affecting parental to their children. Another important aspect
responses and maintaining the parental role, of problematic parenting has focused on
especially during acute illnesses. Studies of parenting by low-income parents (Beeber &
parents of ill children have largely been lim- Miles, 2003), but the area receiving the most
ited to descriptive, cross-sectional studies attention from nurse researchers has been
done with small convenience samples from adolescent parenting. Although a number
in one institution. Intervention studies are of intervention studies have been conducted
increasingly being tested, but very few lon- to improve parenting in these at-risk groups
gitudinal studies, even within the period of (Kearney, York, & Deatrick, 2000), many of
hospitalization, have been conducted. More the interventions were atheoretical. More
research is needed to explore the influence theoretically based intervention studies
of parenting on health and developmental aimed at improving parenting and remov-
outcomes in ill children and on the nature ing situational or environmental obstacles
of the interaction of health care providers to positive parenting are needed. Two major
and parents and how to strengthen those multidisciplinary teams, with nurses as pri-
interactions. mary investigators, have conducted research
Nurse researchers have also studied par- on designed parenting intervention for high-
enting of normal, healthy children. Preschool risk parenting situations: The Incredible
children have been studied the most, with Years (Webster-Stratton & Reid, 2010) and
less attention to parenting the school-aged, a home visiting program for low-income