Social Determinants of Health, Maternal Involvement, and Child Development: Direct and Mediated Pathways

In the process of child development, a variety of factors are at play. In this regard, social determinants of health play a determining role in the development and growth of the child. This study aimed to design and test the model for social determinants of health for the development of 36-6o-month-old children in Tehran with the mediation of maternal involvement.

This cross-sectional study was conducted among 1067 mothers and their 36-60-month-old children in childcare centers in Tehran, using multistage sampling. Data gathering tools consisted of a demographic questionnaire for mothers and children, a questionnaire on unhealthy behaviors, Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Economic and Social Status Questionnaire, Perceived Social Support Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Questionnaire, Spielberger Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, ENRICH: Marital Satisfaction Scale, and Participation Scale for Parents and Mothers.

Model fit measures were suitable and goodness of fit (RMSEA = 0.031, GFI = 1) was satisfactory. In addition, the results of path analysis indicated that the participation of mothers in the development of children had a direct positive (ß = 0.089) and increasing effect.

Findings indicated that depression, anxiety, stress, and marital satisfaction have both direct and indirect effects on the participation of mothers and child development. Moreover, the model fit measures indicated the utility and high proportionality of the model, as well as the logic of the adjusted relationships of variables based on the conceptual model.