Early Maternal Caregiving Capacities in Highly Vulnerable, Multi-Problem Families

Marije van der Hulst, Rianne Kok, Peter Prinzie, Eric A. P. Steegers and Loes C. M. Bertens ()
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Marije van der Hulst: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Postbus 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Rianne Kok: Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, 3062 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Peter Prinzie: Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, 3062 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Eric A. P. Steegers: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Postbus 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Loes C. M. Bertens: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Postbus 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 23, 1-11

Abstract: Caregiving capacities may be an important link between multi-problem circumstances and adverse child development. This study aims to assess caregiving capacities and their correlations in highly vulnerable, multi-problem families in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Caregiving capacity (overall, emotional and instrumental) was prospectively assessed in 83 highly vulnerable women using video-observations of daily caregiving tasks, six week postpartum. Supporting data were collected at three time points: at inclusion, six weeks after inclusion and six weeks postpartum, and these included psychological symptoms, self-sufficiency, problematic life domains, home environment, income, depression, anxiety and stress. Pregnancy- and delivery-related information was collected from obstetric care professionals. Maternal caregiving scores averaged below adequate quality. Mothers living in an unsafe home environment ( B = 0.62) and mothers with more problematic life domains (≤3 domains, B = 0.32) showed significantly higher instrumental caregiving capacities. Other variables were not related to caregiving capacities. Caregiving capacity in this highly vulnerable population was below adequate quality. However, in most cases there was no significant association between caregiving and the variables related to vulnerability. This means that a potential association between vulnerability and caregiving capacities might be driven by the interaction between several problems, rather than the type or number of problems.

Keywords: caregiving capacity; video-observation; vulnerable populations; early childhood; multi-problem families (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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