title: The effect of relational continuity of care in maternity and child health clinics on parenting self-efficacy of mothers and fathers with loneliness and depressive symptoms.
abstract: This study explored the parenting self-efficacy of the parents of 18-month-old children in the context of Finnish maternity and child health clinics. This parenting self-efficacy was observed in relation with the relational continuity of care and parents' experienced loneliness and depressive symptoms. The relational continuity of care was provided by a public health nurse in maternity and child health clinics. The participating parents were drawn from the STEPS study that is being carried out by the Institute for Child and Youth Research at the University of Turku. The results showed that relational continuity of care provided by the same public health nurse in the maternity and child health clinics was associated with mothers' higher emotional loneliness and with lower scores on three dimensions of parents' parenting self-efficacy. Loneliness and depressive symptoms negatively influenced parents' parenting self-efficacy - however, in the case where the family had experienced relational continuity of care, the parents' higher levels of depressive symptoms had not weakened their parenting self-efficacy beliefs. These results are discussed in terms of organizing maternity and child health clinic services.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, Public Health, University of Turku, Finland.|Turku Institute for Child and Youth Research, University of Turku, Finland.|Faculty of Health and Well-being, Turku University of Applied Sciences, Finland.
authors.forename: Miia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tuominen
authors.affiliation: Turku Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Niina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Junttila
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Well-being, Turku University of Applied Sciences, Finland.
authors.forename: Pia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ahonen
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, Public Health, University of Turku, Finland.|Turku Clinical Research Centre, Turku University Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: Päivi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rautava
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008132:Loneliness; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Continuity of patient care; STEPS study; child health services; maternal health services; parenting self-efficacy