Behavioural problems between working and non working mother’s children: a comparative cross sectional survey

Background: Mental health is an essential part of children's overall health and has a complex interactive relationship with their physical health and their ability to succeed in society. As children grow they acquire many skills to adjust themselves in environment. Sometimes they acquire good skills but sometimes they develop some unhealthy skills which sometimes turned up to into behavioural problems. Mothers being primary caregiver of child play important role in their mental health. Time spend by mothers with their children, their knowledge and awareness regarding behavioural problems and its management plays major role in the prevalence of behavioural problem in their children. Aim: The Present study was aimed to assess the prevalence of behavioural problems among children (age 3-10yrs) of working and non-working mothers in selected areas of Faridkot. Materials and Methods: Cross sectional survey was used to select 300 children of working and non working mothers from the Peadiatric department of Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital Faridkot, Punjab. Out of 300 sample 150 children were of working mothers and 150 children were of Non-working mothers and were selected with purposive sampling technique. Tool used for data collection were –Socio demographic data sheet and strength and difficulty questionnaire. Results: From the results of present it was concluded that 12% children were abnormal in case of non-working mothers and 7.3% children were abnormal in case of working mothers. Prevalence of behavioural problems was found more in children of non-working mothers. Conclusion: From the results of present study it appears that association of working mothers education and family income had impact on the prevalence of behavioral problem in children most of working mothers in present study were educated up to graduate/more level with good family income and tend to show that prevalence of behavioral problems in their children was less than the children of non-working mothers.