Parenting self-efficacy and social support among parents in mainland China across the first six months postpartum: A prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Knowledge of parenting self-efficacy and social support can help healthcare professionals to facilitate the parents' transition to parenthood. However, few studies have explored parenting self-efficacy and social support in Chinese mothers and fathers across six months postpartum. Thus, this study aimed to (a) investigate changes in parenting self-efficacy and social support over the six months postpartum; (b) explore the relationships between parenting self-efficacy and social support; and (c) compare the differences in parenting self-efficacy and social support between the mothers and fathers.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A prospective cohort study was carried out from September 24, 2020, to October 8, 2021, at a local teaching hospital in Guangzhou, China. One hundred and sixteen pairs of Chinese parents who gave birth to a single full-term newborn were included in this study.

MEASUREMENTS: The Parenting Self-Efficacy Subscale of the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale and Social Support Rating Scale were completed within 2-3 days after delivery (T1), six weeks postpartum (T2), three months postpartum (T3), and six months postpartum (T4). Demographic and obstetric information was collected at T1.

FINDINGS: Maternal parenting self-efficacy decreased from T1 to T2 and then increased to T3 and T4, while paternal parenting self-efficacy remained stable throughout the six months postpartum. Overall, maternal and paternal social support declined during the six months postpartum. Parenting self-efficacy had a positive correlation with social support. Moreover, maternal subjective support was significantly lower than that of fathers at T1 and T4.

KEY CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The present study highlighted the changes and relationships between parenting self-efficacy and social support in mothers and fathers across six months postpartum in mainland China. Healthcare professionals should treat mother and father as a system to help their transition to parenthood.