[Exploring the relationship between women's experiences of negative support and their capacity to receive support during pregnancy and child-rearing: A mixed-methods study].

Abstract

Objectives　This study investigated women's capacity to receive support and its relationship with negative support experiences during pregnancy through child-rearing using a mixed-methods approach. The study also sought to derive the practical implications of transforming negative support into positive support.Methods　An Internet-based survey was conducted in February 2020 targeting 4,700 mothers (aged 20-49 years) of infants and preschool-aged children across all 47 prefectures of Japan, with 100 respondents recruited from each prefecture. Quantitative data were analyzed using Poisson regression analysis, with the capacity to receive support as the dependent variable and experience of negative support as the independent variable. Covariates included demographic and socioeconomic attributes (mother's age, household income, educational background, employment status, marital status, child's age, and number of children), as well as mental health status. Qualitative data, consisting of open-ended descriptions of negative support experiences, were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Subsequently, an integrated interpretation was conducted through joint displays using both quantitative and qualitative results.Results　In four of the five negative support questions, women who experienced negative support were significantly more likely to have a low capacity to receive support than those who did not experience negative support. The strongest association with the capacity to receive support was observed for negative support related to parenting support (Prevalence ratio [PR]＝1.65, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.50-1.82, P＜0.001). Compared to those with no negative support experiences, women who experienced one type of negative support had a PR of 1.42 (95% CI: 1.25-1.61, P＜0.001), and those who experienced two or more types had a PR of 2.11 (95% CI: 1.92-2.33, P＜0.001).　Through a joint display, an integrated interpretation was presented using qualitative case examples of negative support experiences among women with a low capacity to receive support. This analysis revealed part of the process by which women who were unable to obtain the support they sought gradually disengaged from seeking support.Conclusion　Health care and parenting support providers may need to raise awareness about the types of support that are perceived as negative and promote a shift toward providing more positive support.