Differences between and Characteristics of University Students’ and Their Parents’ Perceptions of Family Functioning in Japan

This study aimed to clarify the differences between and characteristics of university students’ and their parents’ perceptions of family functioning. We conducted an internet survey involving university students and their parents, which consisted of a questionnaire about attributes and a family functioning scale (Survey of Family Environment; SFE). The responses were obtained from 26 pairs of university students and their parents. There were no significant differences in the Overall Satisfaction Score and the Overall Importance Score of the SFE between university students and their parents. Among the satisfaction scores for individual items (item-SSs), scores for “Family’s going on leisure outings together,” “Family’s being friendly to the global environment” and “Managing family members’ diet” in parents were significantly higher than the scores for the respective items in university students. The significant differences in the scores of some items suggest that the differences in the perceptions of overall family functioning between university students and their parents can be ignored in settings where only overall family functioning is evaluated. However, it is necessary to consider the data on all family members in addition to the SFE score in family nursing practice.