9.3.2 Practitioner assessments of ‘good enough’ parenting: Factorial survey (53)

Julie Taylor, Professor of Family Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom Co authors: Maxine Moy, William Lauder, Joanne Corlett & Irene McTaggart j.z.taylor@dundee.ac.uk

Abstract:

Aims:

The aim of this study was to measure health visitors’ professional judgments on ‘good enough’ parenting and identify what factors and combinations of these are important when making such judgments and decisions.

Methods:

Vignettes were constructed using previous research on those variables which may influence nurses’ judgments, for example family dietary habits, parental discipline, and child dentition. The level of the factors was randomly varied. 2000 vignettes were administered to a sample of 200 health visitors in two Health Boards who then made a judgment about this scenario.

Analysis:

The primary independent variable was judgment on ‘good enough’ parenting. The data were analysed through multiple regression and one-way analysis of variance. Regression equations on any main and indirect effects were reported.

Results:

The models used are significant predictors of parenting and mothering. Significant predictors are based on health visitor judgments around behavioural boundaries and health behaviours. Although parenting and mothering are often conflated, health visitors appear to separate these aspects when making judgments based on type of housing. Health visitors seem to make judgments about ‘good enough’ parenting on a simple hierarchy of factors.

Conclusions:

It is difficult to ascertain when parenting is ‘good enough’ to provide a child with a safe and nurturing psychosocial, environmental and physical milieu. If, as the research suggests, practitioners move their thresholds depending on the circumstances in which the parents live, or according to their own beliefs or experiences, then there is potential for children to fall through a gap in the child health service.

Recommended reading list:

  • Sibert J.R., Maguire S.A. & Kemp A.M. (2007): How good is the evidence available in child protection? Archives of Disease in Childhood 92, 107-108
  • Shlay A.B., Tran H., Weinrub M. & Harmon M. (2005): Teasing apart the child care conundrum: A factorial survey analysis of perceptions of child care quality, fair marker price and willingness to pay by low-income, African American parents. Early Childhood Research Quarterly 20, 393-416
  • Taylor J., Spencer N. & Baldwin N. (2000): Social, economic and political context of parenting. Archives of Disease in Childhood 82, 113-120

Source of Funding: UK - Health Service (Local)

Amount in Funding: 1,000 - 10,000

Biography:

Julie Taylor is Professor of Family Health in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Dundee. She has held the post of Research Dean there for the last three years. Funded research has been focused around optimal service delivery conditions for child care and protection practice, including ‘good enough’ parenting debates. Recent publications have focused on the smacking controversy, abuse of children in hospital, and child neglect. With Daniel, she is co-author of ‘Engaging with Fathers: Practice Issues for Health and Social Care’ and co-editor of ‘Neglect: Issues for Health and Social Care’. She is a Fellow of the European Academy of Nursing Science, founding member of the international Child Welfare and Gender Network, and a founding member of the Scottish Child Care and Protection Network.