Exploring overparenting in summer camp: adapting, developing, and implementing a measure

This study explores the development and validation of a measure of overparenting (OP) within a common youth leisure context, residential summer camp. A sample of 1140 parents (primarily mothers (89%)) of campers from 18 residential camps completed an online questionnaire pertaining to behaviours commonly associated with OP including parental support, control, and parental anxieties associated with nature and people in nature. The results of the multi-phase confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the measure indicated convergent and discriminant validity of the finalized measure. Additionally, the modifications generated from the multi-phase CFA process provided preliminary evidence of an additional component of OP, excessive parental problem solving, and suggested the need for more investigation of the multiple dimensions of parental behaviour and beliefs that may contribute to OP in leisure settings.