scholarly journals Determinants of Child Health Behaviors in a Disadvantaged Area from a Community Perspective: A Participatory Needs Assessment

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 644 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Child Health ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Needs Assessment ◽  
Disadvantaged Area

scholarly journals Promoting positive maternal, newborn, and child health behaviors through a group-based health education and microfinance program: a prospective matched cohort study in western Kenya

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Yu-Lien Maldonado ◽  
Julia J. Songok ◽  
John W. Snelgrove ◽  
Christian B. Ochieng ◽  
Sheilah Chelagat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Child Health ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Matched Cohort ◽  
Western Kenya ◽  
Newborn And Child Health ◽  
And Child Health

Abstract Background: We launched Chamas for Change (Chamas), a group-based health education and microfinance program for pregnant women and their infants, to address inequities contributing to high rates of maternal and neonatal mortality in western Kenya. In this prospective matched cohort study, we evaluated the association between Chamas participation and uptake of evidence-based, maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) behaviors. Methods: We prospectively compared the uptake of MNCH behaviors between a cohort of Chamas participants and controls matched for age, parity, and prenatal care location. Between October-December 2012, government-sponsored community health volunteers (CHV) recruited pregnant women attending their first antenatal care (ANC) visits at health facilities in Busia County to participate in Chamas . Women enrolled in Chamas agreed to attend bi-monthly group health education and optional microfinance sessions for 12 months. We collected baseline sociodemographic data at study enrollment for each cohort. We used descriptive analyses and adjusted multivariable logistic regression models to compare outcomes across cohorts at 6-12 months postpartum, with α set to 0.05. Results: Compared to controls (n=115), a significantly higher proportion of Chamas participants (n=211) delivered in a facility with a skilled birth attendant (84.4% vs. 50.4%, p<0.001), attended at least four ANC visits (64.0% vs. 37.4%, p<0·001), exclusively breastfed to six months (82.0% vs. 47.0%, p<0·001), and received a CHV home visit within 48 hours postpartum (75.8% vs. 38.3%, p<0·001). In our adjusted models, Chamas participants were nearly five times as likely as controls to deliver in a health facility (OR 5.07, 95% CI 2.74-9.36, p<0.001). Though not statistically significant, Chamas participants experienced a lower proportion of stillbirths (0.9% vs. 5.2%), miscarriages (5.2% vs. 7.8%), infant deaths (2.8% vs. 3.4%), and maternal deaths (0.9% vs. 1.7%) compared to controls. Our sensitivity analyses revealed no significant difference in the odds of facility delivery based on microfinance participation. Conclusions: Chamas participation was associated with increased practice of evidence-based MNCH health behaviors among pregnant women in western Kenya. Our findings demonstrate this program’s potential to achieve population-level MNCH benefits; however, a larger study is needed to validate this observed effect.

70 Sharing Child Health Knowledge in an Urban Inuit Community: A Needs Assessment

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. e50-e51
Author(s):  
Daniel Bierstone ◽  
Brian Hummel ◽  
Dennis Newhook ◽  
Radha Jetty
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Child Health ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Needs Assessment ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Knowledge Dissemination ◽  
Inuit Community ◽  
Parents And Caregivers

Abstract Primary Subject area Public Health and Preventive Medicine Background It is well established that significant health disparities continue to affect Canadian Indigenous children living both in remote and urban areas. A critical component of health promotion is health knowledge dissemination. A 2011 Health Council of Canada study identified the need for better community knowledge of parenting and child health as intervention targets among Indigenous communities across Canada. Objectives In the present study, we aimed to explore the perspectives of Inuit parents and caregivers in one urban setting (Ottawa, Ontario) on the dissemination of child health knowledge specifically, with the intention of guiding future community-based child health promotion initiatives. Design/Methods Ottawa, being home to the largest Inuit population living outside Inuit Nunangat, provided an ideal study location. Many Inuit report relocating to Ottawa for employment, education, or for greater access to heath services. We therefore partnered with the Ottawa-based Inuuqatigiit Centre for Children, Youth, and Families, to design and conduct a needs assessment through a series of focus groups. Focus groups explored participants’ current sources of child health knowledge, child health topics of interest, and preferred formats for child health knowledge dissemination. Focus groups were held at Inuuqatigiit and included a meal of country food shared by study participants and research team members to support relationship-building and engagement. Focus groups were analyzed using an inductive approach to qualitative thematic analysis. Results 24 Inuit parents and caregivers participated in 4 focus groups. Factors affecting preferred sources of health knowledge included trustworthiness, fear of discrimination, cultural differences, and having a holistic approach. Participants identified several child health issues that should be the focus of future child health knowledge sharing initiatives, in particular those in which a sense of cultural dissonance was felt between traditional and Western approaches. In-person and online/interactive sessions were preferred over written materials. Many participants agreed that child health knowledge-sharing initiatives should be designed and delivered with involvement of the community. Participants also emphasized the importance of synthesizing traditional knowledge of Elders with that of health professionals. Conclusion There is a need for better child health knowledge dissemination strategies among the Ottawa Inuit community as a crucial aspect of health promotion. Special considerations when designing such initiatives must be given to historical dynamics of trust and mistrust of the health professions, to addressing cultural differences, and to the role of community members in the design and implementation of initiatives.

Adapting a parental support app for preschooler’s health behaviors (MINISTOP) in a multi-ethnic setting: A qualitative study on needs and preferences of Somali, Arabic and Swedish speaking parents and nurses within Swedish child health care (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Alexandrou ◽  
Ulrika Müssener ◽  
Kristin Thomas ◽  
Hanna Henriksson ◽  
Marie Löf
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Child Health ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Parental Support ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Preschool Age ◽  
Healthy Diet ◽  
Child Health Care ◽  
Dietary Recommendations ◽  
Clear Information

BACKGROUND Similar to other high-income countries, Sweden has a socioeconomic gradient of obesity, with twice as high prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity in areas were the population is predominantly immigrant and more socioeconomically vulnerable. Preventive efforts in primary child health care to counteract this development already in the preschool age has been called for. Mobile health (mHealth) represents an attractive approach to deliver such obesity interventions as they are highly flexible and adaptable. However, knowledge is limited regarding what adaptations of content and features that are required to also make such interventions accessible and effective for parents with a foreign background. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to explore: (1) needs and concerns among Somali, Arabic and Swedish speaking parents in terms of supporting healthy diet and activity behaviors in their children; (2) nurses’ perceptions of parental needs and concerns, in relation to diet and physical activity behaviors, and (3) how features and content of a parental support app (MINISTOP 1.0) could be refined to better support health behaviors in children, among both parents and nurses. METHODS Three focus group interviews with parents speaking Somali (n=5), Arabic (n=4) and Swedish (n=6), and 15 individual telephone interviews with Swedish primary child health care nurses from different geographic and socioeconomic areas in Sweden were conducted. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using an inductive thematic approach. RESULTS Two main themes were identified in the data. The first theme, “Parenthood and health behaviors”, highlighted insecurities and concerns among parents relating to a healthy diet in their children. Swedish speaking parents expressed being stressed about trying to adhere to dietary recommendations, while Arabic speaking parents requested clear information on how to adhere to them. Nurses underlined the need of targeting parents early and strengthening them in their parenting role. In the second theme, “Preferences of content and features”, parents and nurses expressed key aspects that needed to be included in an app. For example, parents from all three focus groups suggested inclusion of clear and reassuring information on children’s diet and eating behaviors. Parents also requested inclusion of social and emotional support rather than just recommendations per se. Nurses talked about the value of a shared digital platform with clear information and pictures, available in different languages, to aid their communication with the parents. CONCLUSIONS This study contributes with valuable insights and knowledge about adapting a parental app supporting health behaviors in children in a multi-ethnic setting. Findings include the importance of strengthening parents in their role, as well as translating and making relevant adaptations to the app, for it to be accessible for parents speaking other languages and facilitate parent-nurse communication.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document