Maternal psychosocial predictors of pediatric health care use: Use of the common sense model of health and illness behaviors to extend beyond the usual suspects

Abstract

Determinants of pediatric health care use extend beyond the health status of the child and economic and access considerations. Parental factors, particularly those associated with the mother, are critical. The common sense model of health and illness behaviors, which was developed to account for adult health care use, may constitute a framework to study the role of mothers in determining pediatric health care use. In the common sense model, the person's cognitive representations of and affective reactions to bodily states influence health care decision-making. There is a growing literature that points to the importance of maternal psychopathology (reflecting the affective component of the common sense model) and maternal parenting self-efficacy (reflecting the cognitive component of the model) as important contributors to pediatric health care use. The implications of this conceptualization for future research and clinical practice are discussed.

Healthcare utilization for pain in children and adolescents: a prospective study of laboratory and non-laboratory predictors of care-seeking

“…Unlike Levy et al, we only assessed utilization specifically for pain complaints; our results may have differed had we assessed HCU for a broader range of symptoms. In contrast to previous reports indicating a link between maternal psychological distress and child HCU [see review by Moran & O’Hara (6)], we did not find an association between parent mental health status and pediatric HCU for pain. Nevertheless, it should be noted that other investigators have also failed to find such a relationship (10–13).…”

“…Nevertheless, it should be noted that other investigators have also failed to find such a relationship (10–13). As discussed by Moran & O’Hara (6), these conflicting results may be due to variation in the assessment of maternal psychopathology and/or pediatric HCU.…”

“…Typically however, decisions to seek pediatric healthcare are initiated by parents. A recent review of factors underlying general pediatric HCU (6) highlighted the link between maternal psychopathology and greater HCU for children (7–9); although negative findings have also been reported (10–13). Among children with recurrent abdominal pain, higher levels of maternal worry and fear about the child’s abdominal symptoms (14), and maternal psychological distress (1) have been linked with greater pediatric HCU.…”

Non-specific Health complaints and self-rated health in pre-adolescents; impact on primary health care use

“…Primary health care use in younger children is to a large degree predicted by maternal illness behavior 35,36 . This is the case for both health care use in general and for non-specific health complaints 24,37 .…”

Cesarean section in relation to self‐esteem and parenting among new mothers in southwestern Nigeria

“…In sub‐Saharan Africa, there is a culturally enshrined belief that a woman who has not delivered by herself is deficient in womanhood, so CS may be a source of perceived or enacted stigma in newly delivered mothers, which may affect their mood and self‐esteem. Apart from the effect on the mother, there is a growing literature that points to maternal psychopathology, self‐esteem during childbirth, and maternal parenting self‐efficacy as important contributors to pediatric health care use (7) and child growth (8, 9). The style and efficacy of parenting had been linked with various developmental stages in the child (10).…”