Listening to the voices of mothers in Indonesia: Qualitative content analysis of experiences in parenting children with down syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: Generally, mothers provide the majority of caring for children who have Down syndrome. They pose challenges not only with regard to the acceptability of the child situation but also with regard to the provision of care for children with DS. AIM: To explore the experiences of mothers parenting children with DS in Indonesia, to give a better understanding of their needs, which is necessary for the delivery of treatment. METHODS: A descriptive qualitative research with content analysis was used. Study participants (15 mothers) were purposively sampled from attendees of a State Special School for students with disabilities. Data was collected via semi-structure interviews and were audio recorded. Participant's statements underwent content analysis, and the principle of trustworthiness was subsequently applied. RESULTS: Five main themes describing participants' experiences were identified: (1) parenting experiences - the impacts, (2) special needs, (3) parenting barriers, (4) parenting facilitators, and (5) mothers' expectations. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings showed that the mothers viewed their situation in both positive and negative ways. Despite the limited sample size in this exploratory study, the results offer new insights into raising a child with DS in a particular cultural setting. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This study offers important information to families and healthcare providers to improve awareness of the disorder and its appropriate management methods. It is important that an exploration of the experiences of mothers will provide healthcare professionals and families with an understanding of the situation. This understanding is essential for the effective management and delivery of treatment.

What does anorexia nervosa mean? Qualitative study of the representation of the eating disorder, the role of the family and treatment by maternal caregivers.

BACKGROUND: Anorexia nervosa is a serious health problem worldwide. The literature widely recognises the roles of the family and caregivers in modulating the onset, development, maintenance and treatment of this disorder. However, few studies have addressed the problem from the perspective of maternal caregivers. AIMS: This study aims to fill this gap by exploring how the meaning given to the term 'eating disorder' influences how mothers communicate with each other about a family member's health problems, how they present symptoms and how this problem is managed. METHOD: A narrative research project was conducted to capture the mothers' experiences of living with a daughter diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. In particular, four semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore the ways in which they made sense of the disorder, their roles in treatment and their daughters' treatment experiences. RESULTS: The results show that the ways in which mothers characterise the disease guide their method of tackling it and the relationship they have with their daughter, as well as how they see their role in the care and treatment process. CONCLUSIONS: Anorexia is experienced as something that is uncontainable, and a dimension of its accommodation characterises the relationship between mothers and daughters receiving treatment for the disorder. Treatment is accompanied by a delegating dimension, and the clinical implications are discussed in this study.

Maternal caregiver's typologies and internalized behaviors in African American adolescents living in urban public housing.

AIMS: This study explores how variations in maternal caregiver types may be associated with adolescents' internalized behaviors (i.e., depressive symptoms) and resources (i.e., attitudes toward delinquent behaviors and efficacious beliefs). METHOD: Using a sample of 375 African American youth from public housing in three large US cities, we used Latent Profile Analysis to identify various maternal caregiver classes. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess whether youth can be correctly classified into maternal caregiver classes based on their internalized behaviors. RESULTS: Three maternal caregiver classes were identified. Results suggest youth living with high encouragement and high (supervision) maternal caregivers were associated with more conventional attitudes, higher self-efficacy, and lower depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: Findings highlight how maternal caregivers can influence the internalizing behaviors of African American youth in US public housing. Individual, community, and system-level interventions can be leveraged to support the impact of these maternal caregivers.

Do Maternal Caregiver Perceptions of Childhood Obesity Risk Factors and Obesity Complications Predict Support for Prevention Initiatives Among African Americans?

Objectives African American maternal caregiver support for prevention of childhood obesity may be a factor in implementing, monitoring, and sustaining children's positive health behaviors. However, little is known about how perceptions of childhood obesity risk factors and health complications influence caregivers' support of childhood obesity prevention strategies. The objective of this study was to determine if childhood obesity risk factors and health complications were associated with maternal caregivers' support for prevention initiatives. Methods A convenience sample of maternal caregivers (N = 129, ages 22-65 years) completed the childhood obesity perceptions (COP) survey. A linear regression was conducted to determine whether perceptions about childhood obesity risk factors and subsequent health complications influenced caregivers' support for prevention strategies. Results Caregivers' perceptions of childhood obesity risk factors were moderate (M = 3.4; SD = 0.64), as were their perceptions of obesity-related health complications (M = 3.3; SD = 0.75); however, they perceived a high level of support for prevention strategies (M = 4.2; SD = 0.74). In the regression model, only health complications were significantly associated with caregiver support (ß = 0.348; p < 0.004). Conclusions Childhood obesity prevention efforts should emphasize health complications by providing education and strategies that promote self-efficacy and outcome expectations among maternal caregivers.