Table 3 Overview of the instruments and scales used in the present study, with descriptions of the assessed construct and item examples
Instrument / Scale | Construct | Example items |
|---|---|---|
Parental sense of competence [15] | ||
- Total score | Parental sense of competence, including self-efficiency and satisfaction with the parental role | • A difficult problem in being a parent is not knowing whether you are doing a good or a bad job • Being a parent is manageable and any problems are easily solved |
Parental Stress Index Short Form [30] | ||
- Parent–child dysfunctional interaction subscale | Parental dissatisfaction with their interactions with their children | • My child does not like or want to be close to me • My child smiles at me less than expected |
Sleep diary [59] | ||
- Sleep onset latency (SOL) - Frequency and duration of nighttime awakenings (FNW; DNW) - Bed-sharing (BS) - Nighttime food intake (NFI) | Children’s sleep behavior | • When did your child wake up at night and how long was he or she awake? • How long did it take for your child to fall asleep? |
Questionnaire of Crying, Sleeping and Feeding [62] | ||
- Frequency of crying episodes (FRQ) | Frequency of crying episodes over the day | • How often does your child cry and whine for half an hour or more and cannot be soothed [one time of the day per item]? |
- Unexplained and unsoothable crying (UUC) | Frequency of unexplained and unsoothable crying episodes | • How often do you feel that you can identify the cause of your child’s crying? • How often does your child respond to the calming support you provide? |
- Crying due to defiance (DEF) | Frequency of crying episodes due to defiance | • If your child cries persistently and is difficult to calm, how often do you have the impression that the cause could be defiance? |
- Feeding/eating subscale (EAT) | Difficulties in the eating situations with the child in general, the parental burden and whether there are any concerns about the weight of the child | • It takes my child more than 45 min to eat • My child eats only when distracted (playing, watching TV, listening to music) |