Impact of maternal digital competence on child health status: the parallel mediating effects of health literacy and parenting stress

Digital technologies are increasingly integrated into healthcare, making maternal digital competence a potential determinant of child health. However, there is a lack of empirical studies exploring the specific impact of maternal digital competence on child health status (CHS). The study aimed to investigate the impact of maternal digital competence on child health status and the mediating effects of health literacy and parenting stress. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Northwest China with 673 mothers. The survey instruments included the Parental Digital Competence Scale, the Health Literacy Scale for Family Caregivers, the Visual Analogue Scale for assessing perceived parenting stress, and Maternal Perceptions of CHS. The mediating effects were tested using the Bootstrap method. Pearson’s correlation analyses demonstrated a significant correlation among maternal digital competence, health literacy, parenting stress and CHS (p < 0.05). The indirect effects of maternal digital competence on CHS through health literacy and parenting stress were 0.027 (95% CI = 0.003 to 0.060; p = 0.028) and 0.002 (95% CI = 0.001 to 0.005; p = 0.017), respectively. Health literacy and parenting stress served as complete mediators. The total indirect effect was 0.029 (95% CI = 0.005 to 0.062; p = 0.018). All model fit indices met the required standards. Maternal digital competence may positively influence child health by enhancing health literacy and reducing parenting stress. Addressing maternal digital competence gaps shows promise for improving CHS. These findings may be generalizable to mothers in Northwest China, or to other populations exhibiting similar cultural and socioeconomic characteristics.