The relationship between parenting styles and cultural intelligence in undergraduate nursing students: chain mediation of humanistic caring ability and emotional intelligence

Cultivating cultural intelligence (CQ) is crucial for preparing nursing students to provide equitable care in multicultural societies. However, the factors that contribute to CQ development in undergraduates, particularly the role of early family influences, remain underexplored. Parenting styles shape fundamental interpersonal competencies, yet their relationship with CQ, and the potential mediating roles of humanistic caring ability (HCA) and emotional intelligence(EI), have not been empirically examined. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between parenting styles (emotional warmth and rejection) and CQ in undergraduate nursing students, and to test whether HCA and EI serve as chain mediators in this relationship. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 846 undergraduate nursing students from March 2024 to September 2024 in Shaanxi Province and Gansu Province, China, using the convenience sampling. The General Information Questionnaire, Caring Competence Evaluation Scale, EI Scale, CQ Scale, and Short-form Parenting Styles Questionnaire were used to assess the undergraduate nursing students. Descriptive analysis, Pearson correlation analysis and Hayes PROCESS Macro method in SPSS 27.0 were used to test the model. (1) HCA and EI significantly mediated between the parental rejection dimension and CQ, d21 paternal = 0.258, BootstrapSE = 0.152, 95%CI = (-2.054, -1.458); d21 maternal = 0.245, BootstrapSE = 0.142, 95%CI = (-2.126, -1.568). The contribution of indirect associations to the total association was 54.21%. HCA was a 25.23% mediating association, EI was a 14.86% mediating association, and the co-mediating association of HCA and EI was 14.12%. (2) HCA and EI significantly mediated the relationship between parental emotional warmth and CQ, d21 Father = 0.258, BootstrapSE = 0.123, 95%CI = (1.271, 1.756); d21 Mother = 0.240, BootstrapSE = 0.124, 95%CI = (1.453, 1.939). The contribution of indirect associations to the total association was 51.89%. HCA was a 22.88% mediating association, EI was a 17.69% mediating association, and the co-mediation association of HCA and EI was 11.38%. (1) These findings, derived from a sample of nursing students in Northwest China, suggest that parental rejection is negatively associated with CQ. Parental emotional warmth is positively associated with CQ. (2)HCA and EI significantly mediated this relationship. The results highlight the potential role of family factors in nursing education within similar cultural contexts. However, generalizability to other regions requires further investigation.