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Although there is increasing research interest in the parenting of children with ASD, at present, little is known about everyday strategies used to manage problem behaviour. We conducted a meta-synthesis to explore what strategies parents use to manage irritability, non-compliance, challenging behaviour and anxiety in their children with ASD. Approaches included: (1) accommodating the child; (2) modifying the environment; (3) providing structure, routine and occupation; (4) supervision and monitoring; (5) managing non-compliance with everyday tasks; (6) responding to problem behaviour; (7) managing distress; (8) maintaining safety and (9) analysing and planning. Results suggest complex parenting demands in children with ASD and problem behaviour. Findings will inform the development of a new measure to quantify parenting strategies relevant to ASD.

Background: Parents’ dietary strategies shape children’s eating habits. This study investigated socio-demographic determinants of maternal feeding practices among school-aged children in the Pomeranian province of Poland. Using a cross-sectional survey conducted in July 2025, we compared feeding strategies based on family structure, maternal employment, and number of children, and identified distinct parenting profiles through cluster analysis. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in July 2025 among 719 mothers of elementary school children in Pomeranian Voivodeship, using a convenience sampling design. An abbreviated version of the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire (CFPQ) with 16 items across eight subscales was used. ANOVA compared feeding strategies between groups, Spearman correlations examined associations, and k-means cluster analysis identified maternal parenting profiles. Results: Encouragement and modeling were the most frequent strategies, while monitoring was least common. Mothers raising children with a partner and those employed used monitoring, modeling, and encouragement more often. Single or non-working mothers relied more on food as a reward and for emotion regulation. Mothers of only children applied control and monitoring less intensively than mothers with multiple children. All strategies were positively correlated. Cluster analysis identified three parenting profiles: intensely directive, moderate, and emotional-supportive. Conclusions: Maternal feeding strategies vary with socio-demographic factors. Educational interventions promoting healthy eating should be tailored to family structure and mothers’ employment status.

Previous studies have suggested the impact of intervention fidelity on the management and prevention of chronic diseases; however, little is known about the effect of the contributing determinants (at multiple levels of influence) that can impact health-related interventions intending to improve the health status of Hispanic adolescents with overweight or obesity. The current study aimed to assess whether fidelity (i.e., dosage and quality of the program delivery), acculturation (i.e., orientation to the American culture, retention of Hispanic cultural values), and individual-level socio-demographic characteristics (i.e., income, education) predict changes in family processes (e.g., parent control), which in turn may affect adolescent health-related outcomes including body mass index (BMI), physical activity, dietary intake, and adolescents’ health-related quality of life. A pathway analysis model was utilized to explore the study variables among 140 Hispanic parent-adolescent dyads randomized to Familias Unidas Health and Wellness (FUHW) intervention. Results indicated that fidelity was significantly associated with changes in parent-adolescent communication, parent monitoring, limit-setting, and control. Parents’ education was associated with changes in parent limit-setting, and parent Hispanicism was associated with changes in parent limit-setting and discipline. The examination between family processes and adolescent health outcomes revealed that parents’ higher discipline and improved communication with their adolescents were significantly associated with improved adolescents’ quality of life, and parent control was positively associated with physical activity and negatively associated with BMI in adolescents. Our findings demonstrated the significant contribution of intervention fidelity and participants’ characteristics in parenting strategies leading to adolescents’ health outcomes to prevent obesity-related chronic diseases. Future research is needed to investigate the effect of environmental and organizational factors on the delivery of the intervention materials.

In humans, support from partners and alloparents is crucial for successful child-rearing and optimal child development. However, the complex relationships among childcare support, children's outcomes and parental characteristics have not been fully examined. We investigate how three sources of partner and alloparental support—partner's childcare participation, support from children's grandparents and support from non-kin—can be associated with child social development. We hypothesize that the associations between childcare support from partners/alloparents and child social development are partly mediated by parental psychological condition and parenting style. To test this, we conducted path analyses on online survey data collected in 2016 from parents of 3- to 5-year-old children in Japan. We found no evidence that childcare support had direct positive effects on child social development. Rather, the benefit of childcare support was mediated by its effects on parental psychological condition and parenting style, which in turn improved children's outcomes. At the same time, we found some evidence that greater availability of childcare support was directly associated with more behavioural difficulties in children. Our findings reveal the complex pathways between childcare support, parental characteristics and children's outcomes in Japan, showing potential mechanisms behind parental and alloparental effects in industrialized populations. This article is part of the theme issue 'Multidisciplinary perspectives on social support and maternal–child health'.

Background Behavioural and mental disorders have become a public health crisis; averting mental ill-health in early years can achieve significant longer-term health benefits and cost savings. This study assesses whether the Enhancing Social-Emotional Health and Wellbeing in the Early Years (E-SEE-Steps)—a proportionate universal delivery model comprising the Incredible Babies book (IY-B) and the Incredible Years Infant (IY-I) and Toddler (IY-T) parenting programmes is cost-effective compared to services as usual (SAU) for the primary caregiver, child and dyad. Methods Using UK data for 339 primary caregivers from the E-SEE trial, we conducted a within-trial economic evaluation assessing the cost-effectiveness of E-SEE Steps. Health outcomes were expressed in quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) and costs in UK pounds sterling (2018–19). Missing data were populated via multiple imputation and costs and QALYs discounted at 3.5% per annum. Cost-effectiveness results were conducted for primary caregivers, children and dyad using econometric modelling to control for patient co-variables. Uncertainty was explored through scenario and sensitivity analyses. Results The average cost of E-SEE Steps intervention was £458.50 per dyad. E-SEE Steps was associated with modest gains in primary caregiver HRQoL but minor decrements in child HRQoL compared to SAU. For primary caregivers, E-SEE Steps was more effective (0.034 QALYs) and more costly (£446) compared to SAU, with a corresponding incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of £13,011 per QALY. In children, E-SEE Steps was strictly dominated with poorer outcomes (-0.005 QALYs) and greater costs (£178) relative to SAU. QALY gains in primary caregivers exceeded those QALY losses found in children, meaning E-SEE Steps was more effective (0.031 QALYs) and costly (£621) for the dyad (ICER: £20,062 per QALY). All scenario analyses found E-SEE Steps cost-effective for the dyad at a £30,000 per QALY threshold. Sensitivity analyses found significant cost reductions from expansions in programme delivery and attendance. Conclusions E-SEE Steps achieved modest health gains in primary caregivers but small negative effects on children and was more costly than SAU. E-SEE Steps appears cost-effective for the dyad, but the results should be interpreted with caution given the potential detrimental impact on children. Trial registration ISRCTN11079129 ; Pre participant trial enrolment, 11/05/2015

Consuming too few fruits and vegetables and excess fat can increase the risk of childhood obesity. Interventions which target mediators such as caregivers’ dietary intake, parenting strategies, and the family meal context can improve children’s diets. A quasi-experimental, pre–post intervention with four conditions (healthcare (HC-only), public health (PH-only), HC + PH, and control) was implemented to assess the effects of the interventions and the effects of the mediators. HC (implemented with the Obesity Care Model) and PH interventions entailed capacity building; policy, system, and environment changes; and a small-scale media campaign to promote healthy eating. Linear mixed models were used to assess intervention effects and the mediation analysis was performed. Predominantly Hispanic/Latino children and caregivers from rural communities in Imperial County, California, were measured at baseline (N = 1186 children/848 caregivers) and 12 months post-baseline (N = 985/706, respectively). Children who were overweight/obese in the HC-only condition (M = 1.32) consumed more cups of fruits at the 12-month follow-up than those in the control condition (M = 1.09; p = 0.04). No significant mediation was observed. Children in the PH-only condition consumed a significantly higher percentage of energy from fat (M = 36.01) at the follow-up than those in the control condition (M = 34.94, p < 0.01). An obesity intervention delivered through healthcare settings slightly improved fruit intake among at-risk children, but the mechanisms of effect remain unclear.

The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing stay-at-home orders have shifted family lives worldwide. Government regulations about social distancing and isolation have resulted in parents/carers and children spending most of their time together in private spaces. During the northern hemisphere spring 2020 semester, most childcare and school systems closed and parents had to dramatically modify their balance between work and home life. Using data from consumer reports, online parenting forums and blog posts, and Google Trends, the authors of this article explored how some parents have shifted towards cultural and creative enrichment as a resource to occupy their children during governmental stay-at-home directives in both the United States and the Republic of Korea. The authors found that arts and crafts and educational toy sales have increased, parents are sharing advice and resources for athome creative activities, and arts and cultural institutions have expanded their free online content. Finally, this article discusses whether the short-term stressors from COVID-19 might lead to long-term changes in parenting and sustained interest in these resources. The authors’ findings provide additional support for the importance of arts and humanities in the educational experience of children. Les activités artistiques et artisanales, une stratégie éducative et d’adaptation pour les parents en République de Corée et aux États-Unis pendant la pandémie de COVID-19 – La pandémie de COVID-19 et les ordres de confinement qu’elle a entraînés ont bouleversé la vie des familles dans le monde entier. Du fait des mesures de distanciation physique et d’isolement prises par les gouvernements, les enfants et les parents/les personnes chargées de s’occuper d’eux ont passé la majeure partie du temps ensemble, dans des espaces privés. Pendant le printemps 2020 de l’hémisphère nord, la plupart des services de garde d’enfants et des établissements scolaires ont fermé, et les parents ont dû modifier considérablement l’équilibre travail-famille. En s’appuyant sur des informations recueillies dans des rapports sur les consommateurs, dans des forums en ligne et des billets publiés dans des blogs sur la parentalité, et sur une analyse des tendances de Google Trends, les auteures de cet article ont examiné comment certains parents ont fait de l’enrichissement culturel et créatif une ressource pour occuper leurs enfants durant le confinement ordonné par les gouvernements aux États-Unis et en Corée. Elles ont constaté que les ventes de jouets créatifs et éducatifs avaient augmenté, que les parents partageaient des conseils et des ressources pour faire des activités d’art et d’artisanat à la maison, et que les établissements artistiques et culturels proposaient davantage de contenus gratuits. Enfin, l’article se demande si les facteurs de stress à court terme dus à la COVID-19 pourraient provoquer des changements à long terme en ce qui concerne la parentalité et créer un intérêt durable pour ces ressources. Les résultats des recherches menées par les auteures sont des éléments de plus qui étayent l’importance des arts et des sciences humaines dans l’éducation des enfants.

Many studies have demonstrated that coparenting and parenting behaviors have a substantial effect on the behaviors of young children. Research has indicated that young children may exhibit picky eating behaviors, which pose challenges for parents in terms of coparenting and parenting. This study examined how dietary coparenting and parenting strategies directly affect young children’s picky eating behaviors and explored the mediating role of parenting strategies in the relations between parental dietary coparenting and young children’s picky eating behaviors. More specifically, this study focused on parents of three- to six-year-old children in northern Taiwan. A total of 408 valid completed questionnaires were collected, and the research tools included scales measuring dietary coparenting, parenting strategies, and young children’s picky eating behaviors. The results revealed that supportive and undermining dietary coparenting and parenting strategies had a significant direct effect on young children’s picky eating behaviors. Furthermore, supportive and undermining dietary coparenting partially mediated young children’s picky eating behaviors through parenting strategies. Specifically, among parenting strategies, both “encouraging and facilitating the trying of new foods” and “guiding and modeling” proper eating behaviors had significant indirect effects on reducing young children’s picky eating behaviors.

臺灣夜市工作者的上班時間約在下午5點至晚上12點，與子女的作息幾 乎完全錯開，不論照顧或陪伴子女都顯得困難。本研究透過參與觀察及深入訪談，探討夜市工作者的子女教養場域與實踐策略，以及所建構的親子關係。本研究以「帶（隨身教養）／不帶到夜市照顧（遠端教養）」為縱軸、「規劃安排／自由發展」的課業追求為橫軸，交叉產生四個象限的教養場域與實踐策略；同樣的縱軸但橫軸改以親子活動的「積極安排／低度參與」取代，交叉產生四個象限的親子關係類型。研究結果顯示，當夜市父母將家庭照顧行動帶入工作現場，照顧不再是單線地從父母到子女身上，陪伴與勞動之間也產生競爭關係；而親子關係的維繫不在於有沒有帶到夜市隨身照顧，親子互動的過程與品質更是關鍵。從子女的視角來看，父母的教養策略與子女的親子關係感受可能產生象限移轉，第一象限的教養策略（雙重期許但學習為主、幫忙為輔）會對應到第二象限的親子關係（童年失落）；第二象限的教養策略（家庭事業幫手）則可能對應第一象限（同心體諒）的親子關係。本研究除展現夜市家庭的多元樣貌外，亦顯示非標準工時工作者若能把握有限的時間提升親子互動品質，即有機會調和親子作息時間不一致所帶來的遺憾。 Night market workers in Taiwan typically operate from 5 PM to 12 AM, a schedule that significantly misaligns with their children’s routines, complicating both care provision and companionship. This study employs participant observation and in-depth interviews to examine the parenting domains, practical strategies, and resultant parent-child relationships of night market workers. We employ a framework with two axes: “on-site parenting (bringing children to the night market) / remote parenting” (vertical) and “structured / unstructured” approaches to academic pursuits (horizontal), generating four quadrants of parenting domains and strategies. A parallel framework, retaining the vertical axis but replacing the horizontal with “high / low engagement” in parent-child activities, yields four parent-child relationship types. Findings indicate that integrating family care into the workplace environment transforms care from a unidirectional to a bidirectional process and creates tension between companionship and labor. The quality of parent-child interactions, rather than physical presence at the night market, emerges as the critical factor in relationship maintenance. From the children’s perspective, parental strategies and perceived relationships may shift across quadrants: First-quadrant parenting strategies (dual expectations with learning as primary and helping as secondary) may correspond to second-quadrant parent-child relationships (lost childhood).Second-quadrant parenting strategies (family business helper) might correspond to first-quadrant (mutual understanding and empathy) parentchild relationships. This research not only illustrates the diverse dynamics of night market families but also suggests that optimizing limited interaction time can mitigate the challenges posed by misaligned schedules in nonstandard working hour families.

The transition to high-rise, high-density urban communities in China presents distinct challenges for parents in facilitating children’s outdoor activities. This study examines the built environmental and social factors shaping parental decision-making and coping strategies in these urban settings. Drawing on in-depth interviews with eleven parents in Nanning, the findings reveal that while safety concerns, limited public space, and overcrowding pose obstacles, parents often adapt through flexible tactics such as scheduling adjustments, careful supervision, and social support networks. However, the primary challenges arise from social pressures, including social isolation, academic competition, community expectations, and gendered parenting roles. These social constraints influence parental decision-making, often surpassing concerns related to the built environment. To navigate these challenges, parents leverage support networks and adopt structured strategies to ensure their children’s outdoor engagement. This study highlights the intertwined influence of physical and social environments on parenting, emphasizing the need to recognize how urban spatial constraints interact with broader societal pressures. The findings contribute to understanding urban family life in high-density Chinese cities, shedding light on how parents negotiate structural limitations to facilitate children’s outdoor activities.