Exploring the impact of social influence on parents’ intention to use institutional childcare: a cross-sectional study
Abstract Background China is actively responding to low birth rates by developing childcare institutions to alleviate the parenting pressures on families. However, despite strong childcare demand, the enrollment rate remains low. Few studies have explored the role of social influence in parents'...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-02-01
|
| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12362-z |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1823862689590411264 |
|---|---|
| author | Bo Yu Difan Zhang Yin Sun Yuna Yao Yingji Li Huiling Hu |
| author_facet | Bo Yu Difan Zhang Yin Sun Yuna Yao Yingji Li Huiling Hu |
| author_sort | Bo Yu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background China is actively responding to low birth rates by developing childcare institutions to alleviate the parenting pressures on families. However, despite strong childcare demand, the enrollment rate remains low. Few studies have explored the role of social influence in parents' childcare decisions. Therefore, this study will construct a research model to explore the mechanisms of social influence on parents' intentions to use childcare institutions. Methods This study used parents of infants and toddlers in mainland China as the study population. Questionnaires were collected through electronic surveys created on a professional website, with 554 responses gathered through purposive sampling. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and Importance-Performance Map Analysis (IPMA). Results The results indicate that perceived benefits are the significant driving variable for parents' intention to use childcare institutions, while price sensitivity and perceived risk are significant barriers. Normative influence and perceived childcare policy significantly affect perceived benefits and price sensitivity, while informational influence has a significant positive effect on perceived risk. Additionally, the Importance-Performance Map Analysis (IPMA) shows that improvements should focus more on price sensitivity given the current low performance. Conclusions These findings provide insights for childcare policymakers and institutional childcare managers and will generate a management basis for developing China’s childcare service industry. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d299c3335a6b4088b59a96a2a5d80bfa |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-d299c3335a6b4088b59a96a2a5d80bfa2025-02-09T12:26:50ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632025-02-0125111310.1186/s12913-025-12362-zExploring the impact of social influence on parents’ intention to use institutional childcare: a cross-sectional studyBo Yu0Difan Zhang1Yin Sun2Yuna Yao3Yingji Li4Huiling Hu5School of Humanities and Management, Yunnan University of Chinese MedicineSchool of Humanities and Management, Yunnan University of Chinese MedicineFaculty of Management and Economics, Kunming University of Science and TechnologyCollege of Preschool Education, Shandong Ying Cai UniversitySchool of Humanities and Management, Yunnan University of Chinese MedicineInstitute of Creative Design and Management, National Taipei University of BusinessAbstract Background China is actively responding to low birth rates by developing childcare institutions to alleviate the parenting pressures on families. However, despite strong childcare demand, the enrollment rate remains low. Few studies have explored the role of social influence in parents' childcare decisions. Therefore, this study will construct a research model to explore the mechanisms of social influence on parents' intentions to use childcare institutions. Methods This study used parents of infants and toddlers in mainland China as the study population. Questionnaires were collected through electronic surveys created on a professional website, with 554 responses gathered through purposive sampling. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and Importance-Performance Map Analysis (IPMA). Results The results indicate that perceived benefits are the significant driving variable for parents' intention to use childcare institutions, while price sensitivity and perceived risk are significant barriers. Normative influence and perceived childcare policy significantly affect perceived benefits and price sensitivity, while informational influence has a significant positive effect on perceived risk. Additionally, the Importance-Performance Map Analysis (IPMA) shows that improvements should focus more on price sensitivity given the current low performance. Conclusions These findings provide insights for childcare policymakers and institutional childcare managers and will generate a management basis for developing China’s childcare service industry.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12362-zIntention to use institutional childcareSocial influencePLS-SEM |
| spellingShingle | Bo Yu Difan Zhang Yin Sun Yuna Yao Yingji Li Huiling Hu Exploring the impact of social influence on parents’ intention to use institutional childcare: a cross-sectional study BMC Health Services Research Intention to use institutional childcare Social influence PLS-SEM |
| title | Exploring the impact of social influence on parents’ intention to use institutional childcare: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Exploring the impact of social influence on parents’ intention to use institutional childcare: a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the impact of social influence on parents’ intention to use institutional childcare: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the impact of social influence on parents’ intention to use institutional childcare: a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Exploring the impact of social influence on parents’ intention to use institutional childcare: a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | exploring the impact of social influence on parents intention to use institutional childcare a cross sectional study |
| topic | Intention to use institutional childcare Social influence PLS-SEM |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12362-z |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT boyu exploringtheimpactofsocialinfluenceonparentsintentiontouseinstitutionalchildcareacrosssectionalstudy AT difanzhang exploringtheimpactofsocialinfluenceonparentsintentiontouseinstitutionalchildcareacrosssectionalstudy AT yinsun exploringtheimpactofsocialinfluenceonparentsintentiontouseinstitutionalchildcareacrosssectionalstudy AT yunayao exploringtheimpactofsocialinfluenceonparentsintentiontouseinstitutionalchildcareacrosssectionalstudy AT yingjili exploringtheimpactofsocialinfluenceonparentsintentiontouseinstitutionalchildcareacrosssectionalstudy AT huilinghu exploringtheimpactofsocialinfluenceonparentsintentiontouseinstitutionalchildcareacrosssectionalstudy |