{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,21]],"date-time":"2026-09-21T06:01:58Z","timestamp":1789970518104,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,21]],"date-time":"2026-09-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1789948800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychiatry"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Shared reading supports early child development, but parental depressive symptoms may reduce its frequency and quality. Most previous studies assumed linear relationships with small samples. This large cross-sectional study examined linear and non-linear associations between parental depressive symptoms and shared reading practices in Chinese preschoolers.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We recruited 21,366 parent-child dyads (children aged 3\u20136 years) from 189 kindergartens in western China. Depressive symptoms were measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Shared reading was assessed using the StimQ READ subscale. Multivariable linear regression, piecewise linear regression with threshold estimation, and natural spline analysis were performed, adjusting for sociodemographic covariates.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Higher CES-D scores were linearly associated with lower total reading scores (adjusted \u03b2 = \u20130.074 per point, 95% CI: \u20130.081 to \u20130.067). Piecewise regression identified a significant estimated breakpoint at CES-D score = 19.0 (95% CI: 11.9\u201326.1), below this threshold the slope was steeper (\u03b2 = \u20130.085) than above (\u03b2 = \u20130.051). Natural spline analysis confirmed non-linearity (P = 0.026) and located the point of maximum curvature at CES-D score = 10.9, indicating the most rapid change in slope occurred at subclinical symptom levels. The association was consistent across all subgroups (after Bonferroni correction).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Parental depressive symptoms are negatively associated with shared reading in a non-linear, breakpoint-dependent manner. Even subclinical symptoms (CES-D score\u2248 11) are associated with steeper declines, while the association attenuates at higher levels (CES-D score \u2248 19). Interventions targeting parental mental health, especially at subclinical to moderate symptom levels, may help preserve high-quality home literacy environments.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2026.1957666","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,21]],"date-time":"2026-09-21T05:35:23Z","timestamp":1789968923000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Parental depressive symptoms and shared reading practices among preschool children in western China: cross-sectional study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Ziyi","family":"Wang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Humanities and Social Science, Xi\u2019an Jiaotong University","place":["Xi\u2019an, Shaanxi, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hongli","family":"Sun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Shaanxi Institute for Pediatric Diseases, Xi\u2019an Key Laboratory of Children\u2019s Health and Diseases, Xi\u2019an Children\u2019s Hospital, Affiliated Children\u2019s Hospital of Xi\u2019an Jiaotong University, National Regional Children\u2019s Medical Center (Northwest)","place":["Xi\u2019an, Shaanxi, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jie","family":"Mi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacy, Xi\u2019an Children\u2019s Hospital, Affiliated Children\u2019s Hospital of Xi\u2019an Jiaotong University, National Regional Children\u2019s Medical Center (Northwest)","place":["Xi\u2019an, Shaanxi, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jiahua","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xi\u2019an Children\u2019s Hospital, Affiliated Children\u2019s Hospital of Xi\u2019an Jiaotong University, National Regional Children\u2019s Medical Center 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