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Background: For first-time mothers, not knowing how to interact with newborn infants increases anxiety and decreases the quality of the parent-infant interactions. A substantial lack of interactional knowledge can ultimately limit the adjustments necessary for a stable transition into motherhood. This study investigated how postpartum parenting education influenced first-time mothers' mother-infant interaction quality and parenting sense of competence., Methods: Eighty-one healthy first-time-mother and infant dyads were recruited. The control group (n = 40) received postpartum care based on the medical and cultural norms practiced in Taiwan, while the experimental group (n = 41) received, on top of typical care, education by way of a 40-min videotape on infant states, behaviors, and communication cues, as well as a handout on play practices. Data were collected at five points: within the first week, and during follow-ups in the first, second, third, and sixth months after birth. We administered the Chinese versions of the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale and Edinburgh Perinatal Depression Scale, and used the Nursing Child Assessment Teaching Scale to score videotaped mother-infant interactions., Results: We observed an increase in the quality of mother-infant interaction within the experimental group only. Furthermore, at the five assessment points, we observed no significant changes in perceived parenting competence. Among all subjects, there were correlations between postpartum depression scores, parenting competency, and quality of mother-infant interaction., Conclusions: Our results indicate that first-time mothers in Taiwan who are provided with extra education on infants' abilities and how to effectively play with infants are likely to exhibit improvements in quality of interaction.

This study proposes the promotion of environmental protection education among communities as a solution to the serious problems of high energy consumption and carbon emissions around the world. Environmental protection education has direct and lasting influences on everyone in society; therefore, it is helpful in our fight against many serious problems caused by high energy consumption. In this study, the Delphi method and the fuzzy logic theory are used to develop a quantitizing assessment model based on qualitative analysis. This model can be used to assess the results and influences of community residents' participation in environmental protection education on green community development. In addition, it can be used to provide references for governing authorities in their decision making of green community development policies.

This study explores the perceptions and experiences of Taiwanese parents in coping with the unfolding evidence of a disability, their response to the official diagnosis, and their views about their child's developmental disability. This descriptive qualitative study is a partial analysis of data from a larger study including 19 Taiwanese parents of very low-birth-weight infants with developmental disability at 6 and 12 months of corrected age. Four themes were generated: uncertainty and worry about developmental progress, search for meaning and supernatural will, desire for normality and attitude toward services, and finding a balance point in family life and relationships. The parents of very low-birth-weight infants face uncertainty about developmental and other potential problems in the infant's early age. Adequate information related to infant development needs to be integrated into follow-up clinic and early intervention services. Early intervention programs should not only focus on the needs of these infants but also provide support and care to the whole family. Understanding parental beliefs and values toward developmental disabilities can help neonatal and pediatric professionals to provide optimal early intervention to these families.

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of a home-based caregiver training program for caregivers of elders with dementia and behavioral problems., Methods: A prospective study was conducted in the communities of Northern Taiwan. Forty-eight patients with dementia and their family caregivers were included. The experimental group (n = 24) received a two-session in-home caregiver training program, and the control group (n = 24) received only written educational materials. The Chinese version of Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI), community form, was used to measure the behavioral problems of patients with dementia. The caregiver's self-efficacy, for managing the demented person's agitation, was measured by the Agitation Management Self-efficacy Scale (AMSS). The CMAI and AMSS were administered before (baseline), three weeks (1st post-test), and three months (2nd post-test) after the two-session training program., Results: Except for the physically aggressive behavior subscale, the scores of physically non-aggressive behavior, verbally aggressive and non-aggressive behavior subscales as well as the overall CMAI decreased significantly and continuously in the experimental group and differed significantly from the changed scores from those in the control group (p < 0.05). Physically aggressive behaviors showed a decreasing trend for both groups. Scores of the Agitation Management Self-Efficacy Scale and its subscales increased significantly and continuously in the experimental group in comparison to those in the control group (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: This home-based caregiver training program is helpful for decreasing problematic behaviors of elder people with dementia and it improves the caregiver's self-efficacy for managing problematic behaviors., (Copyright 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)