Effects of family functioning on problem behaviour among Chinese preschool children: the mediation effect of mother–child relationships

ABSTRACT

To explore the effects of family functioning on problem behaviour among Chinese preschool children, 1,025 preschool parents were assessed using the family assessment device, child problem behaviour scale, and parent–child relationship scale through a random sampling method. Based on the McMaster model of family functioning and the Process Person Context Time model, this study analysed the relationships between family functioning and children’s problem behaviour, taking into account the mediating role of the mother–child relationship. The results showed that preschool problem behaviour was significantly positively correlated with mother–child conflict and significantly negatively correlated with mother–child intimacy. In particular, mother–child conflict played a mediating role between family functioning and problem behaviour in preschool children. The results of this study suggest that improving family functioning and reducing mother–child conflict play an important role in reducing the incidence of problem behaviour among Chinese preschool children and promoting their healthy development.

KEYWORDS:

• Chinese preschool children
• problem behaviour
• family functioning
• mother–child relationship

Acknowledgments

We are very grateful to the parents who took part in this survey and gave their time to support our research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue restriction, to any qualified researcher.

Conflict of interest statement

We declare that I or my co-authors have not any relevant financial or non-financial competing interests.

Author contributions

MC contributed to the conception and design of the study. TL performed the statistical analysis and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. MC revised it critically for important intellectual content. JY collected the raw data and organized the database.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by Jiangxi Provincial Education Science Foundation of China [grant number 19YB279].

Notes on contributors

Meirong Chen

Meirong Chen is a professor in Education at Nanchang Normal University.

Ting Lan

Ting Lan is a lecturer in Education at Nanchang Normal University.

Yan Jiang

Yan Jiang is a lecturer in Education at Nanchang Normal University.