Factors influencing the caregiving performance of mothers of hospitalized toddlers with acute respiratory diseases: A path analysis

Abstract

Studies on the management of respiratory diseases in children have focused on family members’ participation and caregivers’ needs. However, evidence-based data on the effectiveness of mothers’ management of acute respiratory diseases (ARDs) in toddlers are lacking. This study aimed to examine the factors influencing the caregiving performance of mothers of toddlers hospitalized for an ARD and to test a hypothetical causal model based on the Caregiving Effectiveness Model (CEM). A cross-sectional design was used, and participants included 291 mothers of toddlers aged 12–36 months who were hospitalized for an ARD. Based on the CEM, data were analyzed to identify the path of relationships between the factors influencing mothers’ care of their hospitalized children and the mothers’ caregiving performance. The modified path model had a good fit with the data, with optimal values for all fit indices. The mothers’ caregiving performance was influenced by the children’s number of hospitalizations, the mother–child relationship, and the mothers’ anxiety level. These three factors explained 51.4% of the variance in the mothers’ caregiving performance. Educational interventions targeting controllable factors such as mother–child relationships and mothers’ anxiety levels may be considered to improve mothers’ caregiving performance.