{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]],"date-time":"2026-09-25T18:00:02Z","timestamp":1790359202181,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]],"date-time":"2026-09-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790294400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100002608","name":"Daegu University","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2024-0439"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2024-0439"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100002608","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n                    <jats:title>Purpose<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Maternal quality of life (QoL) is influenced by psychosocial and socioeconomic challenges, particularly in low-resource settings. However, little is known about how parental stress and coping strategies affect maternal well-being in Tanzania. This study examined the relationships among parental stress, coping strategies, and QoL among mothers living in Kigamboni, Tanzania, using a convergent mixed-methods approach.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A convergent mixed-methods design was employed, combining quantitative survey data from 186 mothers with qualitative interviews involving nine stakeholders, including parents, educators, and local government officials. The survey assessed parental stress, coping strategies, and QoL. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, Pearson\u2019s correlation coefficients, and multiple linear regression analyses. Qualitative data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies were associated with better QoL. In contrast, avoidant coping was negatively associated with maternal well-being. Several sociodemographic factors, including having a child with a disability, lower paternal education, lower household wealth, and single parenthood, were associated with higher levels of parental stress and maladaptive coping. Although parental stress showed a negative bivariate association with quality of life, it did not remain a significant independent predictor in the multivariable model. Qualitative findings identified three major themes: (1) parenting stress as a daily struggle, (2) adaptive and strained coping strategies, and (3) structural and cultural barriers to maternal well-being. Participants described chronic financial hardship, emotional exhaustion, social stigma toward disability, and limited formal and informal support systems as important influences on maternal QoL.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Maternal quality of life in Tanzania is shaped by the interplay between psychosocial factors and broader social and structural conditions. The integrated findings suggest that improving maternal well-being requires multilevel interventions that strengthen adaptive coping resources while addressing parenting-related stress and broader contextual barriers.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0358956","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]],"date-time":"2026-09-25T17:28:42Z","timestamp":1790357322000},"page":"e0358956","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Parental stress, coping strategies, and maternal quality of life in urban Tanzania: A mixed-methods study"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"given":"Hye-Kyung","family":"Oh","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Nursing, Daegu University","place":["Daegu, Republic of Korea"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1569-4415","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Boram","family":"Lee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Daegu University","place":["Gyeongsan-si, Republic of Korea"],"department":["Department of Child and Family Welfare"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0358956.ref001","unstructured":"United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. Combating inequality and poverty in the United Republic of Tanzania: Policy analysis and options. Geneva: UNCTAD. 2025. https:\/\/unctad.org\/publication\/combating-inequality-and-poverty-united-republic-tanzania"},{"key":"pone.0358956.ref002","unstructured":"United Nations Development Programme. Tanzania human development report 2022\/23. New York: UNDP. 2023. https:\/\/www.undp.org\/sites\/g\/files\/zskgke326\/files\/2024-07\/tanzania_human_development_report_thdr_202223_0.pdf"},{"key":"pone.0358956.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"232","DOI":"10.1177\/0165025408089272","article-title":"Poverty and maternal responsiveness: The role of maternal stress and social resources","volume":"32","author":"GW Evans","year":"2008","journal-title":"Int J Behav Dev"},{"key":"pone.0358956.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100030","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ssmmh.2021.100030","article-title":"Maternal and paternal perspectives on parenting stress in rural Tanzania: A qualitative study","volume":"1","author":"MN Ahun","year":"2021","journal-title":"SSM - Mental Health"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0358956.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1787","DOI":"10.1007\/s10826-023-02742-6","article-title":"Maternal childhood maltreatment and quality of child-mother relationship: mediating role of meta-parenting and parenting stress","volume":"33","author":"L Shameli","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Child Fam Stud"},{"key":"pone.0358956.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"849408","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2022.849408","article-title":"Impact of poverty on parent-child relationships, parental stress, and parenting practices","volume":"10","author":"LLK Ho","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"pone.0358956.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"211","DOI":"10.1159\/000531634","article-title":"A resilience process model of parenting in the context of poverty","volume":"67","author":"Y Park","year":"2023","journal-title":"Hum Dev"},{"key":"pone.0358956.ref008","article-title":"Parental stress in poor families","volume":"24","author":"\u00cdCPSD da Silva","year":"2019","journal-title":"Psicol Estud"},{"key":"pone.0358956.ref009","first-page":"1","article-title":"The effect of parenting stress, depression, and fatigue on quality of life in early postpartum mothers","volume":"8","author":"JS Kim","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Converg Inf Technol"},{"key":"pone.0358956.ref010","article-title":"Effect of a social support program for mothers of children with precocious puberty: a preliminary quasi-experimental study","volume":"46","author":"J Lee","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Pediatr Nurs"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0358956.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1128","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph20021128","article-title":"Social, community, and cultural factors associated with parental stress in fathers and mothers","volume":"20","author":"CKM Lo","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0358956.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"231","DOI":"10.1097\/NNR.0000000000000219","article-title":"Effects of parental stress, optimism, and health-promoting behaviors on the quality of life of primiparous and multiparous mothers","volume":"66","author":"J Loh","year":"2017","journal-title":"Nurs Res"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0358956.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"348","DOI":"10.21608\/jnsbu.2023.274797","article-title":"Relationship between Parental Stress and Quality of Life among Parents of Children with Leukemia","volume":"4","author":"A-E Nasry Yacoub","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Nurs Sci Benha University"},{"key":"pone.0358956.ref014","article-title":"Stress, appraisal, and coping","author":"RS Lazarus","year":"1984","journal-title":"New York: Springer Publishing Company"},{"key":"pone.0358956.ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"745","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.psych.55.090902.141456","article-title":"Coping: pitfalls and promise","volume":"55","author":"S Folkman","year":"2004","journal-title":"Annu Rev Psychol"},{"key":"pone.0358956.ref016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"253","DOI":"10.1002\/9781118339893.wbeccp107","article-title":"Coping and coping styles.","author":"RCL Chao","year":"2013","journal-title":"The encyclopedia of cross-cultural psychology. Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0358956.ref017","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"92","DOI":"10.1207\/s15327558ijbm0401_6","article-title":"You want to measure coping but your protocol\u2019s too long: Consider the brief COPE","volume":"4","author":"CS Carver","year":"1997","journal-title":"Int J Behav Med"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0358956.ref018","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"69","DOI":"10.4103\/tjp.tjp_41_23","article-title":"Coping strategy as a predictor of quality of life among people living with the human immunodeficiency virus: A cross-sectional study","volume":"10","author":"BE Edet","year":"2024","journal-title":"Telangana J Psychiatry"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0358956.ref019","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"343","DOI":"10.15709\/hswr.2017.37.3.343","article-title":"Coping strategies and health-related quality of life among Korean childhood cancer survivors","volume":"37","author":"M Kim","year":"2017","journal-title":"Health Social Welfare Rev"},{"key":"pone.0358956.ref020","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"92","DOI":"10.1037\/cap0000263","article-title":"Coping during the COVID-19 pandemic: Relations with mental health and quality of life","volume":"62","author":"A Shamblaw","year":"2021","journal-title":"Can Psychol"},{"key":"pone.0358956.ref021","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102140","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejon.2022.102140","article-title":"The Effects of Coping Strategies on Distress and Quality of Life among Jewish and Arab Mothers with a child diagnosed with cancer","volume":"58","author":"S Makhoul-Khoury","year":"2022","journal-title":"Eur J Oncol Nurs"},{"issue":"10","key":"pone.0358956.ref022","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1403","DOI":"10.1016\/0277-9536(95)00112-K","article-title":"The World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment (WHOQOL): position paper from the World Health Organization","volume":"41","year":"1995","journal-title":"Soc Sci Med"},{"key":"pone.0358956.ref023","article-title":"Factors associated with maternal overall quality of life six months postpartum","author":"L Valla","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMC Pregnancy Childbirth"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0358956.ref024","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"219","DOI":"10.1007\/s11482-012-9188-4","article-title":"A Systematic Review of Quality of Life Measures in Pregnant and Postpartum Mothers","volume":"8","author":"MF Mogos","year":"2013","journal-title":"Appl Res Qual Life"},{"key":"pone.0358956.ref025","volume-title":"Designing and conducting mixed methods research","author":"JW Creswell","year":"2007"},{"key":"pone.0358956.ref026","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2134","DOI":"10.1111\/1475-6773.12117","article-title":"Achieving integration in mixed methods designs-principles and practices","volume":"48","author":"MD Fetters","year":"2013","journal-title":"Health Serv Res"},{"key":"pone.0358956.ref027","volume-title":"Designing and conducting mixed methods research","author":"JW Creswell","year":"2017","edition":"3"},{"key":"pone.0358956.ref028","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"463","DOI":"10.1177\/0265407595123009","article-title":"The parental stress scale: Initial psychometric evidence","volume":"12","author":"JO Berry","year":"1995","journal-title":"J Soc Pers Relat"},{"key":"pone.0358956.ref029","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"77","DOI":"10.1191\/1478088706qp063oa","article-title":"Using thematic analysis in psychology","volume":"3","author":"V Braun","year":"2006","journal-title":"Qual Res Psychol"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0358956.ref030","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"13055","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-024-63980-2","article-title":"Sociodemographic predictors of parenting stress among mothers in socio-economically deprived settings in rural and urban Kenya and Zambia","volume":"14","author":"KO Okelo","year":"2024","journal-title":"Sci Rep"},{"key":"pone.0358956.ref031","article-title":"Parental stress and family quality of life in families of individuals living with Angelman syndrome","author":"C Merton","year":"2025","journal-title":"medRxiv"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0358956.ref032","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0277741","article-title":"Stress, coping, and quality of life in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"18","author":"F Wakeel","year":"2023","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0358956.ref033","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"71","DOI":"10.1186\/s12955-017-0634-8","article-title":"Coping strategies and quality of life in caregivers of dependent elderly relatives","volume":"15","author":"M Rodr\u00edguez-P\u00e9rez","year":"2017","journal-title":"Health Qual Life Outcomes"},{"key":"pone.0358956.ref034","article-title":"Stress and quality of life among mothers with thalassemic children in Malaysia","volume":"1","author":"HM Miskam","year":"2017","journal-title":"Int J Stud Child Women Elderly Disabled"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0358956.ref035","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"34","DOI":"10.1002\/edn.38","article-title":"Assessment of health-related quality of life in people with diabetes and people without diabetes in Tanzania","volume":"3","author":"A Msoka","year":"2006","journal-title":"European Diabetes Nursing"},{"issue":"7","key":"pone.0358956.ref036","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1995","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm13071995","article-title":"Stress and Coping Strategies among Women in Late Motherhood","volume":"13","author":"M Mr\u00f3z","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Clin Med"},{"key":"pone.0358956.ref037","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"124","DOI":"10.1186\/1472-6874-14-124","article-title":"Are single mothers\u2019 higher smoking rates mediated by dysfunctional coping styles?","volume":"14","author":"S Sperlich","year":"2014","journal-title":"BMC Womens Health"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0358956.ref038","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"89","DOI":"10.22626\/jkfrma.2019.23.3.005","article-title":"Study on the work and life conditions of single, young parents: The effect of vocational education and public nanny service support on full-time employment","volume":"23","author":"YJ Lee","year":"2019","journal-title":"Journal of Korean Family Resource Management Association"},{"key":"pone.0358956.ref039","article-title":"Impaired child, disabled parent? Parents\u2019 perceptions of having a child with disability in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania","author":"E Johansson","year":"2014","journal-title":"Lund: Lund University"}],"container-title":["PLOS One"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0358956","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]],"date-time":"2026-09-25T17:28:49Z","timestamp":1790357329000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0358956"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Gal","family":"Harpaz","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"The Open University of Israel","place":["ISRAEL"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]]},"references-count":39,"journal-issue":{"issue":"9","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0358956","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]]}}}