Social isolation among mothers caring for Infants in Japan: findings from the Nationwide Survey of healthy parents and children 21

BackgroundChild-rearing isolation may increase the risk of child abuse and negatively affect child development owing to increased urbanization and decline in family and community support systems.PurposeThis study aimed to identify the prevalence of child-rearing isolation and the related sociodemographic factors among mothers in Japan using data from the Final Survey of Healthy Parents and Children 21.ParticipantsMothers of young children attending their health checkups.MethodsMultivariate logistic regression models assessed the association between child-rearing isolation and socio-demographic variables. Data from 69,337 women were analyzed.ResultsMothers who experienced child-rearing isolation comprised 0.2% of all participants. Mothers who were 35- to 39-years-old at childbirth (OR = 1.6, CI[1.0, 2.4], p = .036), unemployed (OR = 1.7, CI[1.3, 2.4], p = .001), experienced financial difficulty (OR = 1.8, CI[1.3, 2.5], p < .001), had husbands with limited participation in child-rearing (OR = 5.7, CI[4.2, 7.9], p < .001), lived in special wards in Tokyo Metropolis (OR = 4.2, CI[2.2, 8.3], p < .001), had child abuse concerns (OR = 2.1, CI [1.5, 2.9], p < .001), and had no time to relax with their child (OR = 4.5, CI [3.1-6.7], p < .001) exhibited higher odds ratio for child-rearing isolation, compared to those who did not.ConclusionsFindings showed the impact of urban living on maternal health, the influence of isolation on mothers’ anxiety about child-rearing and their potential for child maltreatment. The importance of fathers’ involvement in child-rearing for preventing maternal child-rearing isolation was highlighted.SignificancePrevious studies have shown that social isolation is significantly associated with morbidity and mortality. One of the most pressing issues in Japan is child-rearing isolation of mothers with infants. Child-rearing isolation is considered a risk factor for abuse and disruption of healthy parent-child relationships. However, no studies have examined the associated factors of child-rearing isolation among mothers, adjusting for confounding factors. Our results provide evidence that child-rearing isolation is a risk factor for maltreatment. In addition, we found new evidence that maternal child-rearing isolation is significantly associated with age at birth, lack of spousal participation in parenting, and urban living.