The relationship between parenting stress, parental intelligence and child behavior problems in a study of Korean preschool mothers

The current study examined the relationship between Korean mothers’ parenting stress and parental intelligence, and child behavior problems as well as the mediation effects of parental intelligence, which tested the association between parenting stress and child behavior problems. A sample of 436 typically developing children and their mothers participated and were assessed by the Parenting Stress Index—Short Form, the Parental Intelligence Scale and the K‐Child Behavior Check List. Results indicated that parenting stress, parental intelligence and child behavior problems were related; especially, parenting stress significantly predicted child behavior problems. Despite its substantive relationship, parental intelligence did not appear to mediate this relationship.