Cost-Related Barriers, Mental Distress, and Cervical Cancer Screening Adherence: A BRFSS 2024 Analysis.

In Korea, previous studies on hospitalized children have consistently identified mothers as the primary caregivers [], assuming full responsibility for nursing and caregiving during hospitalization. This evidence indicates that they play the central role as primary caregivers in hospital settings, suggesting their critical significance in children’s health recovery and adaptation to hospitalization. A child’s hospitalization imposes concurrent physical and psychological burdens on mothers. During this period, maternal coping abilities may be associated not only with their own psychological well-being but also with the child’s treatment process and family functioning []. In particular, the hospitalization of a child creates significant uncertainty for mothers, leading them to experience negative emotions such as anxiety, helplessness, guilt, and stress []. When these negative emotions persist, mothers may lose confidence in caring for their child and experience decreased parental efficacy, which can ultimately have adverse effects on the hospitalized child’s recovery process []. Parental efficacy refers to a parent’s perception of their ability to successfully manage parenting and discipline, including the confidence to resolve challenges that may arise while raising their child []. As an essential psychological resource, it empowers caregivers to perform parenting tasks with confidence and is closely linked to children’s healthy development and attachment formation []. Mothers with high parental efficacy demonstrate positive interactions with their children and actively engage in child-rearing, which is positively associated with child development []. Particularly during hospitalization, mothers with high parental efficacy actively participate in medication administration and emergency management, as well as demonstrate proactive and effective coping even in stressful situations []. Therefore, parental efficacy is a critical factor in the treatment process and recovery of hospitalized children, and strengthening it among mothers of hospitalized children is essential for achieving positive health outcomes for these children.