Parents' beliefs about the cause of parenting problems and relevance of parenting support: Understanding low participation of ethnic minority and low socioeconomic status families in the Netherlands

• The aim of this study was to provide an in-depth understanding of parent's motivation to participate in parenting support.
• Beliefs regarding the cause and controllability of problems are important to understand parent's motivation.
• Ethnic minority and low-SES parents often attribute parenting problems to external factors and stress (full events)
• Motivation to participate in parenting support is higher during transition stages.
• Differences are found between ethnic groups as to when during the child's life, parenting support is perceived most relevant.

ObjectivesTo provide in-depth understanding of parents' beliefs about the causes of parenting problems, and the perceived relevance of parenting support in a sample of ethnic minority and low socioeconomic status (SES) families.MethodsCross-comparative analyses were performed on qualitative data from 61 parents (age child: 0–15 years) of two ethnic minority groups (Antillean-Dutch and Moroccan-Dutch) and one ethnic majority group (native Dutch) in the Netherlands. Methodology included in-depth qualitative interviews followed by focus groups. Atlas.ti software was used to manage and analyse data inductively.ResultsParenting support was perceived to be less relevant if parents related the cause of parenting problems to stress and external factors. Low-SES and ethnic minority parents more often emphasised unfavourable living conditions and living in two cultures as causes for parenting problems. Parents considered parenting support most relevant during periods of rapid change in their children, or in their parenting role.ConclusionResults indicate that beliefs regarding the cause and controllability of problems are important to understand parents' motivation to participate in parenting support. Notable differences were found regarding the period during the child's life that parenting support was perceived as most relevant. Motivation to participate was higher during various stages of transition, which ranged from the transition to parenthood, to toddlerhood, the age of seven, and adolescence.