Parent-adolescent communication about COVID-19 safety precautions in Nigeria: A qualitative research

Abstract

Parents remain the primary source of health information for adolescents but their discussions regarding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) safety precautions have not been systematically explored. This study aimed to qualitatively explore the communication between parents and children regarding COVID-19 safety measures. In-depth interviews with 25 parents from different communities in Enugu State, Nigeria, were conducted. The study revealed that parents obtained information about the severity of the virus and the preventive measures from the media. Then, they persuaded their children, sometimes through threat or force and religious allegories, to comply with the preventive measures. The discussions about safety measures between parents and their children proved to be effective since the parents reported that their children obeyed the rules following their communications. Parent-adolescent communication about COVID-19 also instilled the concept of practicing basic hygiene routines into the adolescents. The implications of the parent-adolescent communication for policy and research are discussed.