Leiden University Student Repository

Kwidama, Christine (2026)

Ouderlijk welbevinden gemeten en begrepen: Validatie van een nieuw instrument en verdieping in het perspectief van vaders.

Master thesis | Education and Child Studies (MSc)

This study examined the construct of parental well-being, focusing on fathers, and validated a newly developed measurement instrument: the Welbevinden van Ouders (WBO) questionnaire. Although much research and policy in the Netherlands emphasize child well-being, parents’ own well-being has received little attention, despite its importance for children’s well-being and family dynamics. Existing measures focus on problems, overlooking positive dimensions like satisfaction and growth. This study addressed this gap by examining whether the WBO validly measures parental well-being and reflects the five theoretically derived pillars: emotional life, relationships, parenting satisfaction, reflection, and personal well-being and development. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 338 parents, including 319 fathers. Participants completed the WBO alongside two established measures of general well-being: the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) and the...Show moreThis study examined the construct of parental well-being, focusing on fathers, and validated a newly developed measurement instrument: the Welbevinden van Ouders (WBO) questionnaire. Although much research and policy in the Netherlands emphasize child well-being, parents’ own well-being has received little attention, despite its importance for children’s well-being and family dynamics. Existing measures focus on problems, overlooking positive dimensions like satisfaction and growth. This study addressed this gap by examining whether the WBO validly measures parental well-being and reflects the five theoretically derived pillars: emotional life, relationships, parenting satisfaction, reflection, and personal well-being and development. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 338 parents, including 319 fathers. Participants completed the WBO alongside two established measures of general well-being: the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) and the Cantril Ladder. The correlation analysis showed strong associations with both the WEMWBS (r= .73, p < .001) and the Cantril Ladder (r= .60, p < .001), confirming its convergent validity. The exploratory factor analysis supported the expected five-factor structure, indicating that the WBO accurately reflects the theorized dimensions of parental well-being. No significant relationship of age or education was foundin the multiple regression analyses, which may partly reflect the sample’s homogeneity. Personal Well-being and Development emerged as a strong predictor, explaining 68% of the variance, underscoring the central role of personal growth and autonomy in fathers’ well-being. This study contributes to the development of evidence-based approaches to support parents in their parenting roles and in their own psychological and emotional development.Show less

ouderlijk welbevinden

vaders

WBO

WBO-vragenlijst

vijf pijlers

welbevinden van ouders

Author

Kwidama, Christine

Faculty

Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences

Specialisation

Orthopedagogiek

Supervisors

Aghajani, M.
Kamphof, M.R.M.

ECTS Credits

20

Language

nl