Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
3.8
2.1
Journals
Children
Special Issues
Parenting and Child/Adolescent Development: Current Updates and Global Perspectives (2nd...
share announcement

Parenting and Child/Adolescent Development: Current Updates and Global Perspectives (2nd Edition)

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Pediatric Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 October 2025 | Viewed by 2278

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Elitsa Dimitrova

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Demography, Institute for Population and Human Studies–Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
Interests: fertility and family studies; sociology of family; social demography; adolescent health; research methods in social sciences
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Apolinaras Zaborskis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Preventive Medicine & Health Research Institute, Faculty of Public Health, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, A.Mickevičiaus 9, LT-44307 Kaunas, Lithuania
Interests: health behaviour of children and adolescents; family culture in health; inequalities in health; biostatistics (multilevel analysis and structural equation models)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Family dynamics, parenting practices, and parent/caregiver–child relationships have a formative effect and long-term implications for children’s health, well-being, and socioemotional, cognitive, and neurobiological development, including in the later stages of life. Family connectedness, communication, and relationships with parents and family members also provide important role models and contribute to the development of identity and the adoption of skills and behaviours in adolescence. This Special Issue takes a multidisciplinary stance and aims to collect theoretical, methodological, and empirical papers on topics related to the following: the influence of family type, structure, and dynamics; the gendered aspect of parenting and care for children and adolescents, i.e. the role of mothers’ and fathers’ involvement and parenting practices, and their implications for child/adolescent development, health, and well-being; the involvement of extended family members in care for children and adolescents; the role that cultural practices of parenting play in different social contexts; and the role of the institutional and policy contexts, reflected in early-childhood education and care (ECEC) policies, family and youth policies, and services for families, children, and adolescents.

Considering the success and popularity of the Special Issue, ‘Parenting and Child/Adolescent Development: Current Updates and Global Perspectives’, previously published in the journal Children (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/children/special_issues/7839X9JHQQ), we now release a Second Edition that aims to address this topic by inviting scholars to their share findings, perspectives, and approaches in parenting and care for children and adolescents. We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Elitsa Dimitrova
Prof. Dr. Apolinaras Zaborskis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • child development
  • adolescent development
  • health, well-being, and health behaviour of children and adolescents
  • family type, structure, and family dynamics
  • parent–child/adolescent relationships
  • parenting practices and involvement in care for children and adolescents
  • gendered aspects of parenting and care for children and adolescents
  • generational aspects of care for children and adolescents
  • early-childhood education and care (ECEC) policies, and family and youth policies
  • services for families, children, and adolescents

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 2425 KiB  
Article
The Translation and Validation of the Children’s Health Internet Research Parental Inventory (CHIRPI) in Greek: A Crucial Tool for Evaluating Parent Internet Use for Children’s Health Information
by Danai Maria Psoma, Stavroula Ilia, George Briassoulis, Antonia Barke, Bettina K. Doering, Aggeliki Xirorafa and George Notas
Children 2025, 12(8), 1049; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12081049 - 10 Aug 2025
Viewed by 334
Abstract
The internet is now the primary mode of information exchange worldwide. Online health information-seeking behavior (e-HISB) has become a prevalent practice, especially among parents concerned with their children’s health, creating both opportunities and risks. Objective: The present study aims to translate and culturally [...] Read more.
The internet is now the primary mode of information exchange worldwide. Online health information-seeking behavior (e-HISB) has become a prevalent practice, especially among parents concerned with their children’s health, creating both opportunities and risks. Objective: The present study aims to translate and culturally adapt the CHIRPI questionnaire into Greek and conduct a comprehensive psychometric validation, including analyses of internal consistency, test–retest reliability (temporal stability), and inter-rater reliability. The adapted tool is further pilot-tested for its utility in measuring parental internet use concerning child health information. Methods: The translation, validation, and pilot study of the questionnaire were conducted in accordance with internationally recommended procedures. CHIRPI was translated into Greek using forward–backward translation and was culturally adapted. A pilot sample of 105 parents (children aged 0–10) participated. The majority of participants were mothers (66.7%), aged 31–40 years, residing in urban areas, and they held tertiary or postgraduate degrees. Internal consistency was measured with Cronbach’s alpha, test–retest reliability with the ICC, and inter-rater reliability with the kappa coefficient. Item responses were also analyzed in relation to demographic factors. Results: The CHIRPI Greek version demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.91; all subscales had α values greater than 0.70). Test–retest reliability (ICC = 0.632–1.000) and inter-rater reliability (kappa = 0.615–1.000) indicated moderate to excellent agreement. The scale showed satisfactory psychometric properties, supporting its use in Greek populations. Higher education was linked to more frequent health-related internet searches and increased distress (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The CHIRPI Greek version is a valid and reliable tool for assessing parental online health information-seeking behavior related to children’s health among Greek-speaking populations. As the first standardized tool in Greek, it fills a critical methodological gap in eHealth research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parenting and Child/Adolescent Development: Current Updates and Global Perspectives (2nd Edition))
19 pages, 249 KiB  
Article
Factors Influencing Health-Related Practices Among Hispanic Parents: A Formative Study to Inform Childhood Obesity Prevention
by Ana Paola Campos, Julian Robles, Katherine E. Matthes, Maihan B. Vu, Ramine C. Alexander and Rachel W. Goode
Children 2025, 12(7), 887; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12070887 - 5 Jul 2025
Viewed by 412
Abstract
Background: Childhood obesity disproportionately affects Hispanic families in the U.S. Although parenting practices and interventions appear to be viable approaches to lower the risk of childhood obesity, there is limited information on which parenting practices would be relevant and culturally appropriate for [...] Read more.
Background: Childhood obesity disproportionately affects Hispanic families in the U.S. Although parenting practices and interventions appear to be viable approaches to lower the risk of childhood obesity, there is limited information on which parenting practices would be relevant and culturally appropriate for Hispanic families. This study aimed to document the health-related factors that impact Hispanic parenting practices to inform evidence-based parenting interventions to improve child health outcomes and reduce the risk of childhood obesity. Methods: We conducted cross-sectional, formative research guided by the COREQ checklist. Hispanic parents of elementary school-aged children were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling. Eligible parents completed a brief sociodemographic survey, the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire (CFPQ), and an individual semi-structured interview. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data were analyzed using a coding-based thematic approach. Results: Seventeen parents (88.2% female) participated in the study, and the majority reported Spanish as their preferred language (70.6%). According to parent-reported data, the children’s (52.9% female) mean age was 8.4 ± 1.5 years, and over half were classified as having overweight or obesity. The CFPQ analysis indicated that parents scored highest on subscales related to encouraging healthy eating and eating variety, a finding that was reinforced by interview data. Qualitative analysis identified four key themes: 1. parenting roles, routines, and strategies for promoting culturally appropriate and healthy meals; 2. beliefs of children’s health and weight; 3. beliefs on physical activity and screen time; and 4. environmental and social factors affecting access to healthy food and physical activity. Conclusions: Both quantitative and qualitative results emphasize that parents engage in healthy eating guidance and eating variety and are aware of the factors that impact parenting practices and their children’s health. To improve child health outcomes and reduce the risk of childhood obesity among Hispanic families, parenting interventions need to be culturally responsive and address the factors that influence parenting practices. The findings from this study highlight four key areas to prioritize when designing or adapting parenting interventions to lower the risk of childhood obesity among Hispanic families. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parenting and Child/Adolescent Development: Current Updates and Global Perspectives (2nd Edition))
16 pages, 629 KiB  
Article
Family Support, Communication with Parents, and Adolescent Health Risk Behaviour: A Case of HBSC Study from Bulgaria and Lithuania
by Elitsa Dimitrova and Apolinaras Zaborskis
Children 2025, 12(5), 654; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12050654 - 19 May 2025
Viewed by 999
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to explore the association between adolescents’ health risk behaviours (excessive use of alcohol, (e)cigarette smoking, cannabis use) and familial factors. A special objective of this study was to compare findings between Bulgarian and Lithuanian adolescents aged 15 years. Material [...] Read more.
Objective: This study aimed to explore the association between adolescents’ health risk behaviours (excessive use of alcohol, (e)cigarette smoking, cannabis use) and familial factors. A special objective of this study was to compare findings between Bulgarian and Lithuanian adolescents aged 15 years. Material and Methods: National samples from the WHO Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey in 2021/2022 were analysed. The focus was on adolescents aged 15 (n = 64,349), including those from Bulgaria (n = 793) and Lithuania (n = 1137). The set of outcome variables included drunkenness, smoked cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and used cannabis (all variables were measured during the last 30 days); their indicators were child’s talking separately to their father and separately to their mother, as well as the four-item family support scale. All variables were dichotomised and their associations were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling with a WLSMV estimator. Results: In the total sample, the prevalence of drunkenness was 14.9%, cigarette smoking at 12.6%, e-cigarette smoking at 18.4%, and cannabis use at 5.9%; while in Bulgaria, in contrast to Lithuania, these behaviours were much more prevalent, at 27.0%, 29.9%, 29.8%, and 11.1%, respectively. The use of substances was significantly associated with selected familial factors, which were more pronounced among girls than boys in most subsamples. Low family support showed the strongest association with increased substance use (in the total sample, regression weight B varied from 0.231 to 0.382). Adolescents’ difficulty in talking to mother was more pronounced (B = 0.123 to 0.204) than difficulty in talking to their father (B = 0.058 to 0.140). Comparison of data samples from Bulgaria and Lithuania showed stronger relationships in Bulgarian adolescents compared to other countries, which are more pronounced among boys. In addition, among Bulgarian adolescents, easy communication with their father had an inverse association (increasing prevalence) with cannabis use. Conclusions: Adolescent health risk behaviours, such as use of substances, are associated with familial factors, including parent–teen communication and family support. Generally, these associations are more pronounced among girls than boys, and more evident among Bulgarian adolescents than their Lithuanian counterparts. Identifying environmental factors in families helps to plan interventions to prevent development of multiple health risk behaviours in adolescents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parenting and Child/Adolescent Development: Current Updates and Global Perspectives (2nd Edition))
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop