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.