Parental Role Beliefs and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit–Related Stress Among Turkish Parents: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study

Creative Commons License

Demir E., Aykanat Girgin B., ÇARIKÇI F.

Florence Nightingale Journal of Nursing, cilt.34, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus, TRDizin)

Özet

AIM: This study was conducted to determine and compare stress levels, parental role beliefs, and their associated factors among the parents of preterm infants hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit in İstanbul, Türkiye. METHODS: This descriptive, cross-sectional, comparative study was carried out between April 2023 and April 2024 with both parents of 120 preterm infants hospitalized in the level-3 neonatal intensive care unit of a university hospital in İstanbul, Türkiye. Data were collected using sociodemographic information forms, the Parental Stressor Scale:neonatal intensive care unit, and the neonatal intensive care unit Parental Beliefs Scale. RESULTS: Both mothers and fathers of preterm infants hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit reported moderate levels of stress and parental role beliefs. On the Parental Stressor Scale:neonatal intensive care unit scale, Parental Role Alterations subscale scores were significantly higher among mothers compared to fathers (p = .001). In contrast, Parental Role Confidence subscale and total neonatal intensive care unit-Parental Beliefs Scale scores were higher among fathers (p = .001). Parental Stressor Scale:neonatal intensive care unit and neonatal intensive care unit-Parental Beliefs Scale scores were not correlated (p > .05). Neonatal intensive care unit-Parental Beliefs Scale scores were positively associated with maternal age ≥35 years among mothers and with lower birth weight (p = .021), lower gestational age at birth (p = .026), and greater subjective financial well-being (p = .004) among fathers. CONCLUSION: No significant relationship between parental stress and role belief scores was observed in this study. Maternal age, subjective financial well-being, and infant birth weight and gestational age were factors affecting parental belief scores in the neonatal intensive care unit setting. Family-centered care practices are needed to reduce parents’ stress and strengthen their caregiving role beliefs.