Do home-visit programs for mothers with infants reduce parenting stress and increase social capital in Japan?

Abstract

The home-visit program conducted once or twice by public health nurses or trained community staff for mothers with infants showed no substantial reduction in maternal stress and no increase in social trust.

Experience of childhood abuse and later number of remaining teeth in older Japanese: a life‐course study from Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study project

“…Social relationship strategies include home visitation programs and training programs for parents to improve their parenting skills. In Japan, home visitation programs at age of 1–2 months and age of 4 months are conducted; however, it is questionable whether two home visits would reduce parents’ stress. Individual strategies include increasing access to pre‐ and postnatal welfare services and support.…”

Social capital interventions in public health: moving towards why social capital matters for health

“…This home visit programme used social trust and sense of security in the community, two forms of social capital, as mediators to reduce stress in mothers of newborns. 8 On the other hand, a social capital intervention at the community level should facilitate groups to organise and act as a collective. 9 10 An example would be the Kids First intervention.…”

Efficacy of a group‐based parenting program on stress and self‐efficacy amongJapanese mothers: A quasi‐experimental study

“…Parenting stress has been linked to both negative parenting behavior and child functioning (Ostberg & Hagekull, ). It is known that parenting stress is a risk factor for child maltreatment, and that social capital can be a preventive factor (Fujiwara et al ., 2012b).…”