The Mediating Role of Social Health in Relationship of Parenting Stress and Child-Parent Interaction with Health-Related Quality of Life in Parents of Children with Specific Learning Disorder

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Psychology, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran

2 Department of Psychology, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran.

Abstract

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) can predict the amount and impact of the disease, the damages, and inabilities, plus it can measure an individual’s psychological health.

Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of social health in the relationship of parenting stress and child-parent interaction with HRQOL in parents of children with a specific learning disorder (SLD).

Methods: This descriptive-correlational study was conducted using path analysis. The study population comprised all parents of children with a specific learning disorder in Andimeshk in 2020-21, among whom 174 parents were selected through convenience sampling. The research instruments included the SF-36 Questionnaire (Weber, 1992), Parenting Stress Index (Abidin, 1992), Child-Parent Relationship Scale (Pianta, 1994), and Keyes's Social Health Questionnaire (Keyes, 1998). The proposed model was evaluated using path analysis with AMOS-25 software.

Results: The results suggested a significant relationship between child-parent interaction and HRQOL (β=0.204, P=0.004), social health and HRQOL (β=0.383, P<0.001), parenting stress and social health (β=-0.561, P<0.001), and child-parent interaction and social life (β=0.152, P=0.016). Furthermore, the indirect paths of parenting stress and HRQOL mediated by social health (P<0.001) as well as the relationship between child-parent interaction and the HRQOL mediated by social health (P=0.021) were all significant.

Conclusion: The final model achieved a desirable good fit. As a result, this model could be considered an important step in understanding the effective factors in the HRQOL in parents of children with SLD.

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