Maternal COVID-19 Distress and Chinese Preschool Children’s Problematic Media Use: A Moderated Serial Mediation Model

Abstract

Introduction

Maternal distress increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, significantly impacting children’s media use. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence mechanism of maternal COVID-19 distress on preschoolers’ problematic media us through a moderated mediation model; specifically, we examined the possible mediating roles of parenting stress and negative instrumental use of media in parenting and the moderating role of supportive co-parenting.

Methods

An online survey was conducted in a sample of 1357 children (M_age = 4.01, SD = 1.06; 47.4% boys) and their parents from six public kindergartens in Shanghai, China. The mothers provided information by completing measures on their levels of distress related to COVID-19, parenting stress levels, digital parenting practices, and perception of supportive co-parenting from their partners. Additionally, both parents rated their children’s problematic media use.

Results

(1) maternal COVID-19 distress was significantly and positively related to children’s problematic media use; (2) this relationship was sequentially mediated by parenting stress and parents’ negative instrumental use of media in parenting; and (3) supportive co-parenting moderated the serial mediation path by reducing the effect of maternal COVID-19 distress on parenting stress.

Conclusion

The findings provide some support and guidance for preventing children’s problematic media use and enhancing parental adaptation during the COVID-19 pandemic or in potentially adverse situations.

Keywords:

• maternal COVID-19 distress
• children’s problematic media use
• parenting stress
• negative instrumental use of media in parenting
• supportive co-parenting

Data Sharing Statement

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Ethics Approval

Approval was obtained from the ethics committee of Shanghai Normal University (Approval Number: 2022-043). The procedures used in this study adhere to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Disclosure

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The authors did not receive support from any organization for the submitted work.