Assessing current status and exploring influencing factors and mechanisms of mothers' discharge readiness for premature infants: A cross-sectional analysis using structural equation modeling.

Background: Prematurity remains a global health challenge, with preterm infants' immaturity placing significant caregiving demands on mothers.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess mothers' discharge readiness for preterm infants and explore influencing factors using structural equation modeling to inform discharge preparation plans.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Settings: Three Level Ⅲ hospitals in western China.

Participants: From July, 2023, to February 2024, 258 mothers of preterm infants were included in the study.

Methods: The Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale assessed mothers' discharge readiness. Relevant factors were evaluated using General Information Questionnaire, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, and Quality of Discharge Teaching Scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS; hypotheses were tested with AMOS.

Results: Mean discharge readiness score was 198.70±29.60. Significant direct effects included gestational age (β=0.31), household income (β=0.13), online learning (β=0.18), bedside learning (β=0.20), anxiety (β=-0.24), and perception of discharge teaching quality (β=0.36). A chain mediation effect was observed among bedside learning, discharge teaching quality, anxiety, and discharge readiness. Gestational age cutoff of 224.5 days (≈32 weeks) was identified for targeting interventions.

Conclusion: Mothers' discharge readiness for preterm infants was inadequate. Discharge teaching emerges as the most significant target intervention. In clinical practice, emphasis should be placed on guiding mothers of preterm infants with gestational ages <32 weeks. This can be achieved by integrating online study with bedside learning to enhance discharge teaching quality, thereby reducing anxiety levels, promoting mothers' discharge readiness for preterm infants, and facilitating a smooth transition to home care.