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Parents' Perceptions (parent + perception)
Selected AbstractsCHILDREN'S AND PARENTS' PERCEPTIONS ON CHILDREN'S PARTICIPATION IN DECISION MAKING AFTER PARENTAL SEPARATION AND DIVORCE*FAMILY COURT REVIEW, Issue 1 2008Judy Cashmore This article outlines the views of children and parents involved in family law disputes, about the need for and appropriateness of children's participation in decisions regarding residence and contact arrangements. Ninety parents and 47 children (ranging in age from 6 to 18 years) who had been through parental separation, were interviewed. Both parents and children had a range of views about the general appropriateness and fairness of children being involved, but the great majority, particularly of parents, thought that children should have a say in these matters. Core findings of the study include the considerable influence that older children had over the arrangements either in the aftermath of the separation or in making further changes over time, and the higher stated need of children who had experienced violence, abuse, or high levels of conflict to be heard than those in less problematic and noncontested matters. Parents involved in contested proceedings supported the participation of children at a younger age than those who were not. There was a reasonable degree of agreement between parents and children about the need for children to be acknowledged and the value of their views being heard in the decision-making process. Parents, however, expressed concern about the pressure and manipulation that children can face and exert in this process, whereas children were generally more concerned about the fairness of the outcomes, and maintaining their relationships with their parents and siblings. [source] Characteristics of Publicly Insured Children with High Dental ExpensesJOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH DENTISTRY, Issue 4 2007Shervin S. Churchill MPH Abstract Background: Dental coverage is provided for all children with Medicaid in Washington State. The goal of this study was to illuminate the characteristics of a sample of Medicaid-enrolled children with high dental expenses. Methods: Dental care utilization data for a 33-month period were obtained from Washington State's Medicaid database. For children, 0 to 6 years, these data were linked with a parent survey addressing oral health behaviors, knowledge, family history of caries, snacking patterns, and access to dental care. Children with dental expenses of $1,000 or more were classified as the "high-expense" group. Risk factors for the high-expense group were evaluated using multiple logistic regression. Results: 345 children had at least one dental procedure including preventive and diagnostic care. Among these, 30 children (9 percent) incurred 64 percent of total dental expenses for the entire group. Parent perception of lack of dental coverage was associated with incurring high dental expenses. Children of Asian or Pacific Islander heritage were at disproportionately high risk compared to White children. Age of child and family history of caries were also associated with increased risk for high expenses. Conclusions: Not all low-income children on Medicaid are at high risk for caries. A combination of factors, including family history of caries and parent's perception of lack of dental insurance coverage, can potentially increase a child's likelihood for high-expense dental treatment. This study highlighted a small group of children with disproportionately high dental expenses. For some, earlier knowledge of coverage may have resulted in more timely access to preventive and diagnostic care, reducing the subsequent need for expensive restorative treatment. [source] Parental representations and subclinical changes in postpartum moodINFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Issue 3 2007Linda C. Mayes Parents commonly experience a depressed mood in the immediate postpartum period, and a smaller proportion experience clinical postpartum depression. Among other factors, mental representations of early parenting experience appear to contribute to the development of major depressive disorder. The present study examines the role of mental representations of early parenting in subclinical fluctuations of parental mood in the peripartum period. Forty-one middle-class mothers and thirty-six fathers were interviewed on three occasions from late in their pregnancy until three months postpartum. Ratings of social support and past history of depression were obtained along with ratings of parents' perceptions of their early parenting experiences. Parents' perception of their own maternal care was significantly predictive of peripartum fluctuations in mood. Parents who perceived their own mothers as less caring showed more dysphoria at 8 months gestation, and at 2 weeks and 3 months postpartum. Perceptions of maternal protectiveness or fathers' caring and protectiveness were not related to prenatal or postpartum mood fluctuations. Both mothers and fathers who perceived their mothers as affectionless and/or controlling were more likely to experience fluctuations in mood in the peripartum period. A past history of one or more episodes of major depression and ratings of perceived social support were also associated with more peripartum mood fluctuation. These findings suggest that early parenting experiences set the threshold for how vulnerable parents are in the peripartum period to the depressive costs of engaging with a new infant. [source] Perception of fear, distress and pain by parents of children undergoing a micturating cystourethrogram: A prospective studyJOURNAL OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH, Issue 3 2001T Srivastava Objectives: To investigate whether parents' expectations of their child's fear, distress or pain during a micturating cystourethrogram (MCU) are realized. Methodology: Prospective study in which parents were asked to fill out two questionnaires using a visual analogue scale, one before (pre) and the other after the MCU procedure (post), was conducted at a tertiary level paediatric hospital in Sydney, Australia. The questionnaires were designed to compare the parents'anticipated and experienced anxiety about their child's procedure and their perception of fear, distress and pain in their child during and after the procedure. The parents' satisfaction with information provided to them on the procedure was also recorded. Twenty-five parents participated in the study. Results: There were significant differences between anticipated and experienced parental anxiety. Parents' reporting of fear, distress and pain in their child during the MCU and after the procedure was lower than they had anticipated. There was a significant correlation between the parents' anxiety and their perception of severity of their child's fear (r = 0.52, P = 0.009), distress (r = 0.48, P = 0.017) and pain (r = 0.50, P = 0.01) during the procedure, but less so with the child's distress after the procedure (r = 0.39, P = 0.059). The parents were satisfied with the information given to them regarding the MCU procedure. Conclusions: Parents' perception of their child's fear, distress and pain during the MCU, as well as distress following the MCU, was not as severe as they had anticipated. Parental anxiety is an important factor in the perception of fear, distress and pain in children during and after the procedure. [source] Dynamic ankle,foot orthoses as a part of treatment in children with spastic diplegia , Parents' perceptionsPHYSIOTHERAPY RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2003Annika Näslund Abstract Background and Purpose Dynamic ankle,foot orthoses (DAFOs) are often recommended for children with spastic diplegia in order to facilitate better function. The aim of the present study was to explore how the parents of children with diplegic cerebral palsy experience the use of DAFOs. Method A qualitative interview study with a broad research question: ,How do you perceive that DAFOs influence your child?' The parents of 15 children, aged 4,18 years, who all had spastic diplegia and wore DAFOs were interviewed. Results Content analysis resulted in the following categories: ,Physical effects'; ,New functions and activities'; ,The orthosis as a part of the treatment'; ,Opportunity for independence and play'; and ,Problems with DAFOs'. According to the parents, DAFOs appeared to contribute to the (mechanical) changes in posture affecting the muscular system. They meant that when wearing DAFOs the foot and ankle are more stable. This in turn enables postural control and alignment, contributing to functional activities under more favourable physiological conditions. The psychosocial effects were regarded by parents as being just as important as the physical effects. Conclusion In clinical practice, DAFOs may (according to parents) be regarded as a suitable complement to other treatments in children with diplegic cerebral palsy. Copyright © 2003 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source] Improved pain management in pediatric postoperative liver transplant patients using parental education and non-pharmacologic interventionsPEDIATRIC TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 2 2006Paul J. Sharek Abstract:, A pain management intervention, consisting of pretransplant parental education and support, pre- and postoperative behavioral pediatrics consultation, postoperative physical and occupational therapy consultation, and implementation of non-pharmacologic pain management strategies, was introduced to all pediatrics patients receiving liver transplants at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital beginning August 2001. Children receiving transplants pre-intervention (May, 2000 to February, 2001) and post-intervention (August, 2001 to March, 2002) were compared using pain scores, parent perception of pain ratings, length of stay, ventilator days, total cost, and opioid use. A total of 27 children were evaluated (13 historical control, 14 intervention). The two populations did not differ on age at transplant (mean age 53.8 vs. 63.6 months), sex (46.1% vs. 50% male), ethnicity (53.8% vs. 57.1% white, non-Hispanic) weight at transplant (17.5 vs. 24.7 kg), percent with biliary atresia as the primary reason for transplant (42.9% vs. 69.2%), percent with status 1 transplant listing score (38.5% vs. 50.0%), or public insurance status (30.8 vs. 57.2% with Medicaid). No differences were found in mean pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) postoperative length of stay (6.7 vs. 5.3 days), total postoperative length of stay (17.5 vs. 17.5 days), total inpatient length of stay (27.0 vs. 24.4 days), time to extubation (30 vs. 24.3 h), total cost ($147 983 vs. $157 882) or opioid use through postoperative day (POD) 6 (0.24 vs. 0.25 mg/kg/day morphine equivalent). A decrease in mean pain score between POD 0 and 6 (2.82 vs. 2.12; p = 0.047), a decrease in mean parental pain perception score (3.1 vs. 2.1; p = 0.001), and an increase in number of pain assessments per 12 h shift (3.43 vs. 6.79; p < 0.005) were seen. A comprehensive non-pharmacologic postoperative pain management program in children receiving a liver transplant was associated with decreased pain scores, improved parent perception of pain, and an increased number of pain assessments per 12 h shift. No increases in lengths of stay (PICU, postoperative, total), time to extubation, or total cost were found. [source] The Impact of Time on Parent Perspectives on the Barriers to Services and the Service Needs of Youths in the Juvenile Justice SystemJUVENILE AND FAMILY COURT JOURNAL, Issue 2 2003GREGORY J. BENNER PH.D. ABSTRACT The purposes of this study were: 1) to assess the overall perspectives of parents (N=115) of youths in the juvenile justice system on the barriers to and services needs of youths in the juvenile justice system; and 2) to assess the strength of the relationship between duration of time the youth has been involved in the juvenile justice system and parent perceptions of barriers and service needs. The top service need was case management. Statistically significant moderate negative correlations were found between duration of time in the juvenile justice system and Total Barrier score, and all composite barrier scores (i.e., Mismatch, Red Tape, and Inaccessibility). Statistically significant small negative correlations were found between duration of time in the juvenile justice system and the Total Service Needs score and two composite scores: Substance Abuse Services and Out-of-Home Services. [source] Characteristics of Publicly Insured Children with High Dental ExpensesJOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH DENTISTRY, Issue 4 2007Shervin S. Churchill MPH Abstract Background: Dental coverage is provided for all children with Medicaid in Washington State. The goal of this study was to illuminate the characteristics of a sample of Medicaid-enrolled children with high dental expenses. Methods: Dental care utilization data for a 33-month period were obtained from Washington State's Medicaid database. For children, 0 to 6 years, these data were linked with a parent survey addressing oral health behaviors, knowledge, family history of caries, snacking patterns, and access to dental care. Children with dental expenses of $1,000 or more were classified as the "high-expense" group. Risk factors for the high-expense group were evaluated using multiple logistic regression. Results: 345 children had at least one dental procedure including preventive and diagnostic care. Among these, 30 children (9 percent) incurred 64 percent of total dental expenses for the entire group. Parent perception of lack of dental coverage was associated with incurring high dental expenses. Children of Asian or Pacific Islander heritage were at disproportionately high risk compared to White children. Age of child and family history of caries were also associated with increased risk for high expenses. Conclusions: Not all low-income children on Medicaid are at high risk for caries. A combination of factors, including family history of caries and parent's perception of lack of dental insurance coverage, can potentially increase a child's likelihood for high-expense dental treatment. This study highlighted a small group of children with disproportionately high dental expenses. For some, earlier knowledge of coverage may have resulted in more timely access to preventive and diagnostic care, reducing the subsequent need for expensive restorative treatment. [source] Parental perceptions of contributions of school and neighborhood to children's psychological wellnessJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2006Sylvie Jutras This study examined parents' perceptions of how school and neighborhood contribute to the psychological wellness of their 6- to 12-year-old children. Content analysis of 260 interviews explored parents' perception and identified the key aspects of school and neighborhood. At school, two assets stood out: emotional support and a supportive learning milieu. Qualities that parents valued about the neighborhood included child-friendliness, environmental amenities, and the presence of cordial and supportive neighbors. Parents living in disadvantaged neighborhoods differed on many points in their perceptions from parents living in wealthier neighborhoods, reflecting disparities in the environments in which they live and raise their children. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Parents' Perspectives on Talking to Preteenage Children About SexPERSPECTIVES ON SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, Issue 1 2010Ellen K. Wilson CONTEXT:Although parent-child communication about sex can significantly affect children's sexual behavior, many parents do not talk to their children about sex. Qualitative research can elucidate parents' attitudes toward and experiences with communicating with their children about sex. METHODS:In 2007, 16 focus groups were conducted with 131 mothers and fathers of children aged 10,12 in three cities in different regions of the United States. Separate groups were conducted for mothers and fathers, and for black, white and Hispanic parents. Content analysis was used to identify core themes and patterns. RESULTS:Parents believed it is important to talk to their children about sex and believed that doing so can be effective, but many had not done so. Primary barriers were parents' perception that their children are too young and not knowing how to talk to their children about the subject. Parents found it easiest to talk to their children about sex if they had a good parent-child relationship, took advantage of opportunities to talk and began having the discussions when their children were very young. Some differences were noted by parents' race, ethnicity, gender and location. CONCLUSIONS:Interventions aimed at encouraging parents to talk to their children about sex should enhance parents' understanding of the stages of children's sexual development and focus on the parents of young children. In addition, interventions should support parents in a range of strategies that complement discussions about sex. [source] Pain in children with cerebral palsy: a cross-sectional multicentre European studyACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 3 2010KN Parkinson Abstract Aim:, To determine the prevalence and associations of self-reported and parent-reported pain in children with cerebral palsy (CP) of all severities. Method:, Cross-sectional design using a questionnaire; analysis using ordinal regression. Children aged 8,12 years were randomly selected from population-based registers of children with CP in eight European regions; a further region recruited 75 children from multiple sources. Outcome measures were pain in the previous week among children who could self-report and parents' perception of their child's pain in the previous 4 weeks. Results:, Data on pain were available from 490 children who could self-report and parents of 806 children (those who could and could not self-report). The estimated population prevalence of self-reported pain in the previous week was 60% (95% CI: 54,65%) and that of parent-reported pain in the previous 4 weeks was 73% (95% CI: 69,76%). In self-reporting children, older children reported more pain but pain was not significantly associated with severity of impairment. In parent reports, severity of child impairment, seizures and parental unemployment were associated with more frequent and severe pain. Conclusion:, Pain in children with CP is common. Clinicians should enquire about pain and consider appropriate physical, therapeutic or psychological management. [source] How do parents perceive their adolescent's diabetes: a qualitative studyDIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 11 2006Aaron E. Carroll Abstract Background/aims The developmental tasks of adolescence, combined with physical changes, can interfere with self-management behaviour. Yet little is known about how parents view these challenges as they attempt to help their children cope with diabetes. Our objective was to understand how living with an adolescent with diabetes influences parents' perceptions of their child's well-being, their relationship with their child, and how they perceive the influence of peers and school on their child's diabetes. Methods Twenty-eight parents of adolescents with Type 1 diabetes, aged 13,18 years, participated in focus groups. Transcripts were analysed using qualitative methods to determine dominant themes and incidence density. Results Themes included how diabetes negatively influences their adolescent's lifestyle, how diabetes makes it difficult for parents to understand developmental challenges experienced by their child, concerns regarding the potential to develop long-term complications, perceptions on how diabetes impacts on their relationship with their child and relationships with peers and how their children's school impacts on their diabetes self-management Conclusions This qualitative focus group study provides insight into parental perceptions of adolescents living with Type 1 diabetes, specifically as it relates to lifestyle implications, relationships with parents, peers and physicians, and school experiences. [source] Filial Piety, Modernization, and the Challenges of Raising Children for Chinese Immigrants: Quantitative and Qualitative EvidenceETHOS, Issue 3 2004ELI LIEBER This study examines Chinese immigrant parents' perceptions of filial piety. The concept of filial piety is introduced and we discuss the impacts of modernization and immigration experience on the challenges faced by contemporary Chinese immigrants as they reconcile traditional values with the demands of sociohistorical change and child rearing in the United States. Factor analysis of a commonly applied scale demonstrates multiple aspects of filial piety and reflects modifications from traditional views. Interview results point to aspects of filial piety not fully represented in the quantitative scale and expose specific challenges in child rearing related to filial values. These findings suggest the evolution of expectations and strategies related to a cultural adaptation of filial piety. One key demand is for strategies consistent with parental values while maintaining respect for children's unique point of view. The conclusions focus on the development of approaches to understanding the evolving conceptualization and meaning of filial piety for contemporary immigrant Chinese. [source] Adolescents' Contributions to Family Communication PatternsHUMAN COMMUNICATION RESEARCH, Issue 1 2002Melissa Nichols Saphir Early explications of family communication patterns (FCP) suggested that a family's communication pattern arises as a result of interactions in which parents and adolescents influence each other. In contrast, empirical research usually treats FCP as parent-imposed norms that influence socialization outcomes in adolescents, without testing whether adolescents' socialization influences FCP. This study revisits the assumption that adolescents influence FCP, using data from a longitudinal quasi-experimental evaluation of a school-based civics curriculum intervention (N = 313 parent-adolescent pairs). Results show that the intervention-stimulated adolescents to initiate discussion of politics at home and that these adolescent-initiated discussions influenced adolescents' and parents' perceptions of FCP 6 months later. [source] Parental representations and subclinical changes in postpartum moodINFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Issue 3 2007Linda C. Mayes Parents commonly experience a depressed mood in the immediate postpartum period, and a smaller proportion experience clinical postpartum depression. Among other factors, mental representations of early parenting experience appear to contribute to the development of major depressive disorder. The present study examines the role of mental representations of early parenting in subclinical fluctuations of parental mood in the peripartum period. Forty-one middle-class mothers and thirty-six fathers were interviewed on three occasions from late in their pregnancy until three months postpartum. Ratings of social support and past history of depression were obtained along with ratings of parents' perceptions of their early parenting experiences. Parents' perception of their own maternal care was significantly predictive of peripartum fluctuations in mood. Parents who perceived their own mothers as less caring showed more dysphoria at 8 months gestation, and at 2 weeks and 3 months postpartum. Perceptions of maternal protectiveness or fathers' caring and protectiveness were not related to prenatal or postpartum mood fluctuations. Both mothers and fathers who perceived their mothers as affectionless and/or controlling were more likely to experience fluctuations in mood in the peripartum period. A past history of one or more episodes of major depression and ratings of perceived social support were also associated with more peripartum mood fluctuation. These findings suggest that early parenting experiences set the threshold for how vulnerable parents are in the peripartum period to the depressive costs of engaging with a new infant. [source] Patient perceptions of the risks and benefits of infliximab for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseaseINFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES, Issue 1 2008Corey A. Siegel MD Abstract Background: For a patient to make informed, preference based decisions, they must be able to balance the risks and benefits of treatment. The aim of this study was to determine patients' and parents' perceptions of the risks and benefits of infliximab for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods: Adult patients with IBD and parents of patients attending IBD patient education symposiums were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding the risks and benefits of infliximab. Results: One hundred and sixty-five questionnaires were completed. A majority (59%) of respondents expected a remission rate greater than 50% at 1 year and 18% expected a remission rate greater than 70% at 1 year. More than one-third (37%) of respondents answered that infliximab is not associated with a risk of lymphoma and 67% responded that the lymphoma risk is no higher than twice that of the general population. When presented a scenario of a hypothetical new drug for IBD with risks mirroring those estimated for infliximab, 64% of respondents indicated that they would not take the medication, despite its described benefits. Thirty percent of these patients were either currently taking or had previously taken infliximab. Patients actively taking infliximab predicted the highest remission rates for the infliximab (P = 0.05), and parents of patients predicted the lowest (P = 0.01). Parents estimated a higher risk of lymphoma than patients (P = 0.003). Risk and benefit perception was independent of gender and age of patient respondents. Conclusions: Compared to published literature, patients and parents of patients overestimate the benefit of infliximab and underestimate its risks. We conclude that effective methods for communicating risks and benefits to patients need to be developed. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2007) [source] Children's prescription medicines: parents' perceptions on dosing intervals, dosing devices and prescription adviceINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACY PRACTICE, Issue 1 2007Dr. Therése Kairuz senior lecturer, pharmacy practice Objective To gather information on devices used to administer liquid medicines, dosing intervals for antibiotic administration, and parents' perceptions of the advice received from pharmacists about prescription medicines, for children up to the age of six years. Setting Six schools from different socio-economic areas were selected within the Auckland area of New Zealand. To facilitate distribution and collection of questionnaires, the headmaster or a teacher was known to the researchers. Method An anonymous questionnaire was distributed to year 1 and 2 students (aged five and six years) to take home for completion by a parent or primary caregiver. Respondents were asked to refer to their youngest child and/or to the last time they had given medicines or received a prescription for a child. Key findings A total of 299 completed questionnaires were received (48.2%); 60 questionnaires had not been distributed by school teachers in error, and the overall return rate was thus adjusted to 53.4%. The device used most frequently to administer medicines to younger children up to the age of three years was an oral medicine syringe, while nearly one-third of children aged three to six years received medicine in a ,teaspoon'. Almost half the respondents (48.8%) indicated they would be most likely to forget the midday dose of antibiotics, and dosing deviated from recommended intervals. Most respondents had received advice from a pharmacist on how to take the medicine, and had understood instructions and had the opportunity to ask questions. Conclusion This study highlights areas that pharmacists can include when advising parents and guardians about children's medicines, such as ideal dosing intervals of antibiotics and the use of accurate dosing devices. [source] Management of childhood fever by parents: literature reviewJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 2 2006Anne Walsh MHSc RN Aim., This paper reports a review which draws together findings from studies targeting parents' temperature-taking, antipyretic administration, attitudes, practices and information-seeking behaviours. Background., Parents' concerns about the harmful effects of fever have been reported for more than two decades. These concerns remain despite successful educational interventions. Method., Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES and Web of Science databases were searched from 1980 to 2004 during November 2004. The search terms were fever, child, parent, education, knowledge, belief, concern, temperature, antipyretic and information, and combinations of these. Findings., In the 1980s, studies were mainly descriptive of small single site samples of parents with a febrile child seeking assistance from healthcare professionals. From 1990, sample sizes increased and multi-site studies were reported. Educational interventions were designed to increase knowledge and reduce unnecessary use of health services. One 2003 study targeted knowledge and attitudes. Parental knowledge about normal body temperature and the temperature that indicates fever is poor. Mild fever is misclassified by many as high, and they actively reduce mild fever with incorrect doses of antipyretics. Although some parents acknowledge the benefits of mild fever, concerns about brain damage, febrile convulsions and death from mild to moderate fever persist irrespective of parental education or socio-economic status. Many base their fever management practices on inaccurate temperature readings. Increased use of antipyretics to reduce fever and waking sleeping febrile children for antipyretics or sponging reflects heightened concern about harmful effects of fever. Educational interventions have reduced unnecessary use of healthcare services, improved knowledge about fever and when to implement management strategies, and reduced incorrect parental accuracy of antipyretic dosing. Information-seeking behaviours in fever management differ according to country of origin. Conclusion., Despite successful educational interventions, little has changed in parents' fever management knowledge, attitudes and practices. There is a need for interventions based on behaviour change theories to target the precursors of behaviour, namely knowledge, attitudes, normative influences and parents' perceptions of control. [source] Parental perceptions of contributions of school and neighborhood to children's psychological wellnessJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2006Sylvie Jutras This study examined parents' perceptions of how school and neighborhood contribute to the psychological wellness of their 6- to 12-year-old children. Content analysis of 260 interviews explored parents' perception and identified the key aspects of school and neighborhood. At school, two assets stood out: emotional support and a supportive learning milieu. Qualities that parents valued about the neighborhood included child-friendliness, environmental amenities, and the presence of cordial and supportive neighbors. Parents living in disadvantaged neighborhoods differed on many points in their perceptions from parents living in wealthier neighborhoods, reflecting disparities in the environments in which they live and raise their children. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Parents' descriptions of development and problems associated with infants with Turner syndrome: A retrospective studyJOURNAL OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH, Issue 4 2003M Starke Objective: To describe parents' experiences of having an infant diagnosed with Turner syndrome and to determine whether receiving the diagnosis influenced the parents' perceptions of their child's development and/or problems during infancy. In addition, we set out to determine whether the late development of the infant and the perceived problems were related to genotype. Methods: In this retrospective study, 54 parents (39 mothers and 15 fathers) from different families, each containing a girl with Turner syndrome, were interviewed in order to describe the development, feeding and overall well-being of their daughter during infancy (defined as being before the age of 2 years). Results: Late development was reported to occur in the areas of motor activity (39%), fine motor control (59%), speech (37%) and language (37%). Feeding problems were frequent (74%) and screaming periods occurred in 41%. No differences were found between the responses of the parents whose children were diagnosed before 2 years of age and the responses of those whose children were diagnosed after 2 years of age. No differences were found concerning development and/or problems between the genotypes. Conclusions: Parents reported delayed development and problems to do with feeding and crying during infancy. These problems had an effect on their everyday life and that of their families, especially the problems relating to feeding. Parents reported that support and advice would have been of significant benefit in coping with the feeding difficulties. Parents were particularly concerned that the personnel at well-baby clinics should be more knowledgeable about the difficulties that can occur in families with an infant with Turner syndrome. [source] Exploring parents' perceptions of television food advertising directed at children: A South Australian studyNUTRITION & DIETETICS, Issue 1 2007Joyce IP Abstract Objective:, To increase our understanding of parents' perceptions of the influence of television food advertising on children's food choices. Design:, Five focus group discussions. Subjects:, Thirty-two parents (24 women and eight men) of children attending primary school. Setting: Adelaide, South Australia. Data analyses:, The focus group discussions were taped and transcribed and coded as themes. Transcripts were verified and coding was audited. All researchers met regularly to analyse data and reach consensus on emergent themes (researcher triangulation). Results:, Parents who participated in the study indicated that television is a powerful source of information for children's food choices. Parents expressed concern about the negative influence of television food advertising on children's food preferences. They suggested that the current regulations governing television food advertising were not adequately enforced. Parents wanted to see an overall reduction in the volume of food advertisements directed at children, and an increase in advertisements promoting healthy foods. Parents expressed mixed views about banning food advertisements directed at children. Conclusion:, In order for television food advertising to be health-enhancing for children, parents in the study suggested the need for restrictions on advertising practices, tighter enforcement of existing regulations and an increase in healthy food advertisements. The present research shows that parents want to see changes in the current arrangements governing television food advertising to children. [source] Parental communication and children's behaviour following diagnosis of childhood leukaemiaPSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, Issue 4 2005Sally-Ann Clarke Many parents find decisions about what to tell their child with cancer difficult. Open communication is generally considered the best policy and most health care professionals encourage parents to talk openly and honestly about the illness. However, parents differ in their views about what to tell the child. In this study 55 parents of children (36 boys and 19 girls, mean age = 7.33 years) newly diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) were interviewed about (i) the child's reactions and behaviour following diagnosis, (ii) their views about what to tell their child and (iii) factors influencing parents' communication with the child. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Most children showed behavioural and mood difficulties after diagnosis. Older children were given more information. In addition, parents' perceptions of childhood cancer affect the way they communicate with their child. These findings may be used to inform training packages in order to facilitate improved communication amongst health professionals. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Parental perceptions of the outcome and meaning of normalization,RESEARCH IN NURSING & HEALTH, Issue 2 2010Kathleen A. Knafl Abstract The purpose of this secondary analysis was to identify the meaning of normalization for parents of a child with a chronic genetic condition. The sample was comprised of 28 families (48 parents), selected to reflect two groups: Normalization Present (NP) and Normalization Absent (NA). Constant comparison analysis was used to identify themes characterizing parents' perceptions of the meaning of normalization. The meanings parents attributed to normalization reflected their evaluation of condition management, parenting role, and condition impact, with parents in the NP and NA groups demonstrating distinct patterns of meaning. These meaning patterns are discussed as an outcome of normalization. Providers can play a pivotal role in helping families achieve normalization by providing guidance on how to balance condition management with normal family life. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 33:87,98, 2010 [source] Physically active families , de-bunking the myth?CHILD: CARE, HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2010A qualitative study of family participation in physical activity Abstract Background The benefits of physical activity for reducing obesity and related chronic diseases are well known. The need for more family-based interventions to increase physical activity is frequently cited in the literature; however, little is known about if and how families are physically active together, and what factors might influence family-based participation in regular physical activity. This study examined the types of activities (physical and sedentary) engaged in as a family and explored parents' perceptions of the importance, frequency, nature and barriers to family physical activity. Methods Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 30 parents (26 female, four male) of 10- to 11-year-old schoolchildren who attended either low, middle or high socio-economic status schools in Bristol, UK. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, anonymized and analysed using conventional content analysis. Results The majority of parents rated family engagement in physical activity as important, and identified benefits such as increased parent,child communication, spending time together, enjoyment, enhanced mental health, weight control and physical fitness. Despite these benefits most parents reported their families did little or no physical activity together as a family unit during the week, and any activities performed together were usually sedentary in nature. They reported increased family physical activity on the weekends but rarely including the full family unit simultaneously. Parents in two-parent households commonly paired off with one or more children because of complexities of schedules. Commonly reported barriers were busy lifestyles, diverse ages and interests of children and adults, bad weather, and lack of access to facilities, transportation and money to support activities. Conclusions Family-based interventions might be more effective if they are designed to accommodate the complex demands and needs of two-parent and single-parent families and provide affordable, diverse activities appealing to a wide range of interests. [source] Parent-proxy report of their children's health-related quality of life: an analysis of 13 878 parents' reliability and validity across age subgroups using the PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core ScalesCHILD: CARE, HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 5 2007Richard Reading Parent-proxy report of their children's health-related quality of life: an analysis of 13 878 parents' reliability and validity across age subgroups using the PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales . VarniJ. W., LimbersC. A. & BurwinkleT. M. ( 2007 ) Health and Quality of Life Outcomes , 5 , 2 . DOI:10.1186/1477-7525-5-2. Background, Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measurement has emerged as an important health outcome in clinical trials, clinical practice improvement strategies, and healthcare services research and evaluation. While paediatric patient self-report should be considered the standard for measuring perceived HRQOL, there are circumstances when children are too young, too cognitively impaired, too ill or fatigued to complete an HRQOL instrument, and reliable and valid parent-proxy report instruments are needed in such cases. Further, it is typically parents' perceptions of their children's HRQOL that influences healthcare utilization. Data from the PedsQL DatabaseSM were utilized to test the reliability and validity of parent-proxy report at the individual age subgroup level for ages 2,16 years as recommended by recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines. Methods, The sample analysed represents parent-proxy report age data on 13 878 children ages 2,16 years from the PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales DatabaseSM. Parents were recruited from general paediatric clinics, sub-specialty clinics and hospitals in which their children were being seen for well-child checks, mild acute illness or chronic illness care (n = 3,718, 26.8%), and from a State Children's Health Insurance Program in California (n = 10 160, 73.2%). Results, The percentage of missing item responses for the parent-proxy report sample as a whole was 2.1%, supporting feasibility. The majority of the parent-proxy report scales across the age subgroups exceeded the minimum internal consistency reliability standard of 0.70 required for group comparisons, while the total scale scores across the age subgroups approached or exceeded the reliability criterion of 0.90 recommended for analysing individual patient scale scores. Construct validity was demonstrated utilizing the known groups approach. For each PedsQL scale and summary score, across age subgroups, healthy children demonstrated a statistically significant difference in HRQOL (better HRQOL) than children with a known chronic health condition, with most effect sizes in the medium-to-large effect size range. Conclusion, The results demonstrate the feasibility, reliability and validity of parent-proxy report at the individual age subgroup for ages 2,16 years. These analyses are consistent with recent FDA guidelines which require instrument development and validation testing for children and adolescents within fairly narrow age groupings and which determine the lower age limit at which reliable and valid responses across age categories are achievable. Even as paediatric patient self-report is advocated, there remains a fundamental role for parent-proxy report in paediatric clinical trials and health services research. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||