Association between socio-emotional development levels and caregiver parenting stress in children aged 0-3

JIANG Jiajun; XIAO Jiayu; WANG Yifan; SONG Ruili; YAO Shaolan; TONG Lian

doi:10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-0142

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Chinese Journal of Child Health Care ›› 2025, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (11) : 1196-1200. DOI: 10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-0142

Original Articles

Association between socio-emotional development levels and caregiver parenting stress in children aged 0-3

JIANG Jiajun¹, XIAO Jiayu², WANG Yifan², SONG Ruili¹, YAO Shaolan¹, TONG Lian²

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Abstract

Objective To examine the association between caregiver parenting stress and social-emotional development in infants and toddlers, in order to provide scientific evidence for early childhood development promotion and the creation of a fertility-friendly society. Methods During November to December 2024, a stratified sampling method was employed to survey 487 primary caregivers of children aged 0-3 years in Sheyang County, Jiangsu Province.The Ages & Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional, Second Edition (ASQ:SE-2) and the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF) were used to assess children′s social-emotional development and caregiver parenting stress, respectively. Results In this study, 13.1% and 6.8% of children scored close to or above the ASQ:SE-2 cutoff, respectively.ASQ:SE-2 scores increased with age (β=0.260, P<0.001).The average score of PSI-SF among caregivers was 79.13±26.62, with 24.6% reporting high parenting stress.Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that overall caregiver parenting stress (β=0.371, P<0.001) and the "difficult child" subscale (β=0.253, P=0.004) were significantly positively associated with poorer social-emotional outcomes in children, indicating that higher caregiver stress correlated with lower child social-emotional competence. Conclusions Infant and toddler social-emotional development is closely linked to caregiver parenting stress.Early screening for behavioral and psychological development should be implemented, along with interventions to alleviate caregiver stress and foster supportive rearing environments, thereby promoting high-quality population development.

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infants and toddlers / social-emotional development / parenting stress

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JIANG Jiajun, XIAO Jiayu, WANG Yifan, SONG Ruili, YAO Shaolan, TONG Lian. Association between socio-emotional development levels and caregiver parenting stress in children aged 0-3[J]. Chinese Journal of Child Health Care. 2025, 33(11): 1196-1200 https://doi.org/10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-0142

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