214 - Factors Associated with Parenting Styles: A Primary Care Study

Publication Number: 4211.214

Caroline Goeller, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Dayton, OH, United States; Angelina Ritson, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Dayton, OH, United States; Kristen Waters, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Dayton, OH, United States; Ellen L. McMahon, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, Nashville, TN, United States; Seth Scholer, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, United States; Greg Eberhart, Dayton Children's Hospital, Miamisburg, OH, United States; John Pascoe, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Dayton, OH, United States

Background: Parenting behaviors have been found to have lifelong implications for growth and development. Previous research has identified inadequate caregiving as a mediator for long-term adverse health outcomes. This study explores parenting styles and their psychosocial correlates using a brief parenting assessment tool.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the strength of association for factors related to parenting behaviors, such as parent/guardian social support, mental health, and the health of index children.

Design/Methods: This cross-sectional study of a convenience sample was conducted from September 2024 through June 2025 from 5 primary care sites within the Southwestern Ohio Ambulatory Research Network. Participants included primary caregivers (PCGs) of patients aged 15 months - 10.9 years old. Respondents completed a survey that included several validated independent variables: Maternal Social Support Index (MSSI), Rand Depression Screener, UCLA Loneliness Scale, Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) Screener, and demographic characteristics. The dependent variable was the Quick Parenting Assessment (QPA), lower scores (0–2) were classified as positive parenting (P-PCGs), and higher scores (≥3) as negative parenting (N-PCGs). Fisher’s exact test, Kruskal- Wallis test, and Spearman’s rank-order correlation were employed for analysis.

Results: Of the 236 respondents, 66.2% were classified as P-PCGs and 33.8% as N-PCGs. P-PCGs had greater social support (mean score= 23.0±6.3) compared to N-PCGs (mean score= 19.0±7.3, p < 0.001). N-PCGs had higher rates of positive depression screens (54.1%) compared to P-PCGs (26.3%, p < 0.001). In addition, N-PCGs reported greater feelings of loneliness; 17.1% reported feeling isolated often, compared to 5.9% of P-PCGs (p = 0.010).

Conclusion(s): The QPA assesses parenting behaviors toward children seen in primary care venues. These data suggest that negative parents’ behaviors are related to psychosocial factors, with N-PCG’s reporting lower levels of social support, higher levels of depressive symptoms and greater feelings of loneliness compared to their P-PCG counterparts. Further research should explore the stability of these factors over time and their relation to parenting behaviors.