Canadian Parents Research Articles

"They helped me stand on my own two feet": Canadian parents with intellectual disabilities in child protection.

Research on the lived experience of Canadian parents with intellectual disabilities involved in child protection is limited, particularly inclusive research with parents with intellectual disabilities involved in Canada's changing child protection system. This inclusive study was done in collaboration with a co-researcher with intellectual disabilities who had lived experience as a parent. 13 parents from three Canadian regions participated in semistructured interviews about their involvement in child protection. Four major themes emerged in the findings: 1) key supports that contributed to positive outcomes; 2) parents' attitudes toward child protection agencies and perceived attitudes about themselves; 3) systemic barriers impacting accessibility and the child protection experience; and 4) parents' advice to other parents and professionals in child protection. This study provides a promising picture of child protection agencies as a key support despite existing barriers. Implications for social service providers are offered and areas for further exploration are discussed.

Haemophilia testing of young girls in Canada: Describing the current recommendations for factor level and genetic testing and the experiences of Canadian parents.

It is widely acknowledged that haemophilia affects women and girls, yet current testing recommendations for factor level and genetic testing vary and do not universally incorporate updated research. Canadian parents have expressed frustration at inconsistent recommendations and reported instances where delayed testing led to missed diagnosis and preventable bleeding. Study aim was to explore and describe the practice of haemophilia-related testing of young girls in Canada. A mixed methods study was carried out with two populations: (1) Nurses working in haemophilia care completed a survey regarding the current testing recommendations of their Haemophilia Treatment Centre (HTC), (2) Parents of obligate or potential haemophilia carriers completed a structured interview with questions about their family experience of haemophilia and testing decisions for daughters. Twenty-six survey responses were received and showed wide variation in the usual recommendations of Canadian HTCs. Different factor level testing recommendations may be given to obligate and potential carriers despite no difference in bleeding risk. Only a minority of HTCs currently recommend an early baseline factor level (<10 years) to obligate carriers (27%) or potential carriers (15%). For genetic testing of potential carriers, 70% of HTC would approve a family request for genetic testing of a minor with specific conditions. The majority of parents interviewed felt dissatisfied with their testing experience (58%) and highlighted many issues related to delayed testing recommendations. Updated, nationally affirmed testing recommendations are needed that align with research on bleeding in women and girls affected by haemophilia.

Harmony Amidst Hyperactivity: Understanding How Parent-Teacher Relationships Influence Learning Behaviours in Children with ADHD

The current study investigated whether parent-teacher relationships mediated the relationship between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptomology and children’s learning behaviours. A sample of Canadian parents were asked to complete a questionnaire about their child and their parenting. Data collection occurred during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spring 2021 (N = 321, Mgrade = 4.30, SDgrade = 2.98). Data were analyzed using a mediation model. Results indicated that increased ADHD symptomology was significantly associated with a heightened strain on parent-teacher relationships, which exacerbated challenges in children’s learning behaviours (b = -0.39, t(320) = -9.82, p &lt; .001). Moreover, parent-teacher relationships partially mediated the relationship between ADHD symptomology and children’s learning behaviours (b = -8.95, t(320) = -18.13, p &lt; .001). These findings emphasize the importance in addressing familial and educational support structures in managing the academic difficulties for youth experiencing ADHD symptomatology, and further educational achievement and opportunities.

Moderators of movement behaviour changes among Canadian toddlers and preschoolers throughout the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Primary objectives were to examine: (1) changes in movement behaviours (i.e., outdoor play (OP), organized physical activity (PA), screen time (ST), sleep) across the first 2 years of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) among Canadian toddlers and preschoolers, and (2) intrapersonal, interpersonal, community, and policy moderators of change in movement behaviors. Participants were 341 Canadian parents of children (start of study: 1-4 years; 48% female). Participants completed online questionnaires regarding their children's movement behaviours and intrapersonal, interpersonal, and community factors at five time-points before and throughout the pandemic (T1-T5). Data from government websites were also used for some community and policy factors. Linear mixed models were conducted. Compared to pre-COVID-19 (T1): OP was on average 30 min/day higher at T2 and T3; organized PA was on average 62, 44, and 37 min/day lower at T2, T3, and T4, respectively; ST was on average 67, 17, 38, and 52 min/day higher at T2, T3, T4, and T5, respectively; and sleep was on average 30, 36, and 82 min/day lower at T3, T4, and T5, respectively. Significant moderating variables were observed for OP (parental education, parental work inside home, COVID-19 restriction severity), organized PA (children's sex, started kindergarten, nonparental care, parental education, household income, parental employment status, house type, indoor home space and support for PA), ST (nonparental care, parental marital status) and sleep (children's T1 age group, started kindergarten, parental place of birth, parental employment status). All movement behaviors changed across the first 2 years of COVID-19 but patterns and moderators were behaviour-specific. Children from lower socioeconomic status families had the least optimal patterns.

Confidence and barriers: Analysis of factors associated with timely routine childhood vaccination in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic

Routine childhood vaccination is a crucial component of public health in Canada and worldwide. To facilitate catch-up from the global decline in routine vaccination caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and toward the ongoing pursuit of coverage goals, vaccination programs must understand barriers to vaccine access imposed or exacerbated by the pandemic. We conducted a regionally representative online survey in January 2023 including 2036 Canadian parents with children under the age of 18. We used the COM-B model of behaviour to examine factors influencing vaccination timeliness during the pandemic. We assessed Capability with measures of vaccine understanding and decision difficulty, and Motivation with a measure of vaccine confidence. Opportunity was assessed through parents' self-reported experience with barriers to vaccination. Twenty-four percent of surveyed parents reported having missed or delayed one of their children's scheduled routine vaccinations since the beginning of the pandemic, though most parents reported having either caught up or the intention to catch up soon. In the absence of opportunity barriers, motivation was associated with timely vaccination for children aged 0–4 years (aOR = 1.81, 95 % CI: 1.14–2.84). However, experience with one or more opportunity barriers, particularly clinic closures and difficulties getting an appointment, eliminated this relationship, suggesting perennial and new pandemic-associated barriers are a critical challenge to vaccine coverage goals in Canada.

"Out and about": relationships between children's independent mobility and mental health in a national longitudinal study

ABSTRACT Children's independent mobility (CIM) represents their freedom to travel in their neighborhood without adult supervision. Secular declines in CIM coincided with a major increase in mental health problems among children. We investigated relationships between two indicators of CIM and parent-perceived child distress in a national longitudinal study involving 2,291 Canadian parents of 7- to 12-year-olds at baseline (December 2020) with up to four follow-ups, every six months. We assessed mobility licenses (i.e. children's permission to do certain activities on their own) with 6 items, and home range (i.e. how far [in minutes] children can roam with friends and/or siblings) with a 4-point item. We used generalized estimating equations controlling for children's age and gender, household income, study wave, school attendance, and COVID-19 isolation in the week preceding the survey. At each successive time point, 51.8%, 44.0%, 43.2% and 42.4% of children experienced clinically elevated distress. Compared to children allowed to roam for 15 minutes (OR = 0.61; 95% CI: 0.51-0.72) had lower odds of elevated distress. However, CIM licenses were not associated with distress. Our findings underscore the need to support extending children's home range.

Critical Windows: Perspectives of Parents of Children and Youth with Special Educational Needs Regarding Social Wellbeing During COVID19

ABSTRACT In the spring of 2020, schools across the globe closed as a public health measure to address the growing COVID-19 pandemic. For children and youth with special educational needs (SEN) who rely on specific additional supports and services, and who were more likely than their peers to experience a lack of school success even before COVID-19, gaps in academic and social development are likely to be magnified. The current study explored the perspectives of 36 Canadian parents of children and youth with SEN regarding the impact of COVID-19 on social wellbeing during the first wave in the spring of 2020. Thematic analysis was conducted of the in-depth interviews, and two key narratives were created in order to tell the stories of families. These narratives provide evidence of the five major themes that were identified, namely: a) pathways to friends, b) isolated and disconnected, c) developmental concerns, d) siblings as peer proxies, and e) role of schools. We discuss these themes in relation to the growing body of research documenting the impacts of COVID-19 on the social lives of children and youth.

Use of narratives to enhance childhood vaccine acceptance: Results of an online experiment among Canadian parents

ABSTRACT Identifying effective interventions to promote children’s vaccination acceptance is crucial for the health and wellbeing of communities. Many interventions can be implemented to increase parental awareness of the benefits of vaccination and positively influence their confidence in vaccines and vaccination services. One potential approach is using narratives as an intervention. This study aims to evaluate the effects of a narrative-based intervention on parents’ attitudes and vaccination intentions. In a pre-post experiment, 2,000 parents of young children recruited from an online pan-Canadian panel were randomly exposed to one of the three videos presenting narratives to promote childhood vaccination or a control condition video about the importance and benefits of physical activity in children. Pre-post measures reveal a relatively modest but positive impact of the narratives on parents’ attitudes and intention to vaccinate their child(ren). The results also suggest that narratives with more emotional content may be more effective in positively influencing vaccine attitudes than the more factual narrative. Using narratives to promote vaccination can positively influence parents’ views and intentions toward childhood vaccines, but research is still required to identify the best components of such interventions.

The Association Between the Impact of COVID-19 and Internalizing Problems Among Children and Adolescents with ADHD: The Moderating Role of Parental Anxiety.

Previous research has identified an increase in internalizing problems during the COVID-19 pandemic in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Additionally, it has been observed that parents of children with ADHD had elevated levels of anxiety during the pandemic. The current study aimed to longitudinally assess whether the impact of COVID-19 was associated with internalizing problems in children and adolescents with ADHD during the middle (Time 1-Spring 2021 [T1]) and end (Time 2-Fall/Winter 2022 [T2]) of the pandemic, and whether parental anxiety moderated this relationship over time. Canadian parents of youth with ADHD (aged 3-18 years old) completed online questionnaires assessing their child's depression and anxiety symptoms, their own anxiety symptoms, and the pandemic's impact on their child, both at T1 (N = 278) and T2 (N = 89). The results indicated that the impact of COVID-19 on children at T1 was a unique predictor of child internalizing problems at T1 but not at T2. While parental anxiety did not moderate this association cross-sectionally, it was a significant moderator longitudinally. More specifically, low parental anxiety at T1 positively moderated the association between the COVID-19 impact on children at T1 and child internalizing problems at T2. The results highlight the importance of providing on-going psychological support for children and adolescents with ADHD and emphasize the need to aid parents in effectively supporting their children during the process of pandemic recovery.

How do Canadian parents evaluate numeracy content in math apps for young children?

ABSTRACT Well-designed math apps can foster children’s numeracy development. Although parents are interested in using math apps for their children, the quantity and variability in quality of apps can make app selection challenging. As such, it is important to know how parents evaluate numeracy content in math apps for their children. This study investigated parents’ evaluations of four numeracy apps of varying quality. Forty-five parents of 3- to 6-year-old children explored each app for three minutes on their own device and rated each on 17 early numeracy skills. Parents were conservative in their ratings of numeracy skills. Likelihood of downloading apps ranged from 24.4% to 73%. If the first app viewed was of the highest quality, it influenced their subsequent ratings suggesting that parents could be using it as a benchmark. Individual differences affected numeracy ratings, such that parents high in both math teaching confidence and/or anxiety rated the apps more favourably than parents low in those traits. Parents experienced some challenges in identifying better content and design features and individual differences contributed to this. Outcomes also suggest practical supports such as providing parents with a “good” referent may aid app selection.

Determinants of influenza non-vaccination among Canadian children: insights from a nationwide survey.

To identify determinants influencing Canadian parents' decision not to vaccinate their children aged 6 months to 17 years against seasonal influenza. Data from the 2022 Childhood COVID-19 Immunization Coverage Survey, a national survey of approximately 10,500 Canadian parents/guardians and their children, was analyzed. The survey examined influenza vaccine coverage, parental perspectives on vaccines, reasons for hesitancy, and factors influencing immunization. Socio-demographic characteristics, including ethnicity, household income, working sector, educational attainment, and prevalence of chronic medical conditions among children were considered. Historical vaccine uptake and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on immunization decisions were also reviewed. Key determinants of non-vaccination in the 2021-2022 influenza season were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression, with a statistical significance level set at p-value <0·05. 70% of children aged 6 months to 17 years did not receive the seasonal influenza vaccine. Key predictors for non-vaccination included: residing in rural settings (aOR 1·35, 95% CI 1·13-1·60), parental education attainment of less than high school (aOR 2·48, 95% CI 1·24-4·97), and the absence of chronic medical conditions in children (aOR 1.60, 95% CI 1.34-1.91)· Other strong predictors included lower household income; deterrence due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and parental hesitancy stemming from concerns about the vaccine's safety, effectiveness, and by beliefs that their child was not at risk of contracting the influenza or severe consequences from the infection. This research underscores pivotal determinants of parental decisions not to vaccinate their children against seasonal influenza and sheds light on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results highlight the importance of addressing safety concerns and providing clear information to alleviate hesitancy.

Illuminating their reality: the use of metaphor by parents of children with disabilities to express their experiences of health care

Purpose To explore the nature and meaning of metaphors used by parents of children with disabilities when describing their healthcare experiences. Method A systematic procedure was used to identify and analyze metaphors spontaneously mentioned by parents in 13 focus groups held with 65 Canadian parents of children with disabilities. Attention was paid to identifying deep (i.e., meaningful) metaphors rather than common expressions. Results A total of 214 deep metaphors were identified and categorized into four target-source groupings. Parents used journey metaphors to describe experiences of uncertainty, conflict and harm metaphors to describe confrontational, harmful, and demeaning experiences of care, games and puzzles to describe the unknowns of care and attempts to resolve these unknowns, and metaphors concerning environmental barriers (i.e., walls and doors) to express feelings of exclusion and difficulties accessing care. Conclusions Parents’ metaphors expressed experiences of uncertainty, powerlessness, and attempts to exert agency in healthcare interactions. The metaphorical groupings provide new insights into how and why lack of family-centeredness in service delivery is bewildering, distressing, and disempowering to parents. Implications for service providers include paying attention to what metaphor use reveals about parents’ experiences, and discussing parents’ metaphors with them to create joint understanding, providing a fertile ground for collaboration.

Parents, preschoolers, and napping: the development and psychometric properties of two Nap Belief Scales in two independent samples

IntroductionMost children cease napping between 2 and 5 years old. Little is known about the predictors of this cessation. Parents' sleep-related beliefs aid in understanding children's nighttime sleep behaviors, but few index daytime sleep beliefs.MethodsTwo measures of parents' napping beliefs were developed and evaluated-the Parents' Nap Beliefs Scale (14 items) and the Reasons Children Nap Scale (19 items). Canadian parents of 1–5-year-old children completed these questionnaires and other sleep-related measures in independent pilot (n = 201) and replication (n = 702) samples. In the replication sample, a subsample of parents also completed 1–3 weeks of daily sleep diaries. The samples were representative of the Canadian population by ethnicity and region.ResultsIn both samples, both measures demonstrated strong construct validity, convergent and divergent validity, and internal consistency. The Parents' Nap Beliefs Scale was composed of two factors: (a) Positive Beliefs and (b) Negative Beliefs about napping. The Reasons Children Nap Scale was composed of two higher order factors and five lower order factors: (a) Encouragement Reasons (Child related; Parent related) and (b) Discouragement Reasons (Child prefers not to nap; Child functions well without a nap; Scheduling).DiscussionFuture research should (a) test these scales as longitudinal determinants of children's nap behavior and cessation, (b) evaluate parental Nap Beliefs in non-Western cultures, and (c) adapt these scales for use with childcare providers.

Colorado’s Arapahoe Basin ski area changes its marketing strategy: the Vail epic pass decision

Research methodology The case was developed from two 2-h interviews with the Chief Operating Officer of A-Basin, Alan Henceroth; there is no CEO of A-Basin. The second interview was recorded on a Zoom call to provide accuracy of quotations and information. A variety of secondary sources were used in terms of better understanding the current state of the ski industry, as well as its history. Case overview/synopsis Arapahoe Basin (A-Basin) is a historic, moderately sized, ski area with proximity to metropolitan Denver, Colorado. For over 20 years A-Basin partnered with Vail, allowing skiers to use the Vail Epic Pass, for which A-Basin received some revenue from Vail for each skier visit. The Epic Pass allowed pass holders unlimited days of skiing at A-Basin. More and more skiers were buying the Epic Pass, thus increasing the customer traffic to A-Basin. However, the skier experience was compromised due inadequate parking, long lift lines and crowded restaurants. The renewal of the contract with Vail was coming due, and A-Basin had to consider whether to renew the contract with Vail. The case is framed primarily as a strategic marketing case. The authors use Porter’s five forces model to assess the external environment of A-Basin, and the authors use the resource-based view and the VRIO tool to assess A-Basin’s internal strengths. Both frameworks provide useful analysis in terms of deciding whether to continue A-Basin’s arrangement with Vail or end the contract and pursue a different strategy. In 2019, after consultation with the Canadian parent company Dream, A-Basin made the decision to disassociate itself from the Epic Pass and Vail to restore a quality ski experience for A-Basin’s customers. No other partner had ever left its relationship with Vail. An epilogue details some of A-Basin’s actions, as well as the outcomes for the ski area. Generally A-Basin’s decision produced positive results and solidified its competitive position among competitors. Other ski areas have since adopted a similar strategy as A-Basin. A-Basin’s success is reflected in a pending offer from Alterra, Inc., to purchase the ski area. Complexity academic level The A-Basin case can be used in both undergraduate and graduate strategic (or marketing) management courses. It is probably best considered during the middle of an academic term, as the case requires students to apply many of the theoretical concepts of strategy. One of the best books to enable students to use Porter’s five forces is Understanding Michael Porter by Joan Magretta (Boston: Harvard Business Review Press, 2012). Magretta was a colleague of Porter for many years and was an Editor of the Harvard Business Review. For a discussion of the VRIN/VRIO concept, see Chapter 4 of Essentials of Strategic Management by Gamble, Peteraf and Thompson (New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2019).

Obesity-related parenting practices, styles, and family functioning: A natural experiment comparing pandemic and nonpandemic data.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in substantial changes to family life. This study examined associations between pandemic conditions and mothers' and fathers' food, physical activity, and media parenting practices and whether these associations were moderated by parenting styles and family functioning. Two independent samples of Canadian parents (nonpandemic n = 270; pandemic n = 357) self-reported their obesity-related parenting practices, styles, and family functioning. Covariate-adjusted regression models compared parenting practices between the samples. Interactions tested the moderating effects of family functioning and parenting styles on mothers' and fathers' parenting practices separately. Compared to nonpandemic mothers, pandemic mothers reported more frequent family meals, more screen time negotiation, and lower modeling of healthy screen time. Both pandemic mothers and fathers reported lower physical activity facilitation than nonpandemic parents. Parenting styles moderated some of these associations; for example, pandemic authoritative parents used less physical activity monitoring (mothers) and screen time negotiation (fathers) as opposed to uninvolved and permissive parents who reported higher use of these practices. The association between pandemic and parenting practices was also moderated by family functioning, especially among fathers. Among high-functioning families, pandemic fathers reported greater engagement in food monitoring, emotional feeding, coercive feeding, healthy screen time modeling, and emotional compensation with screens than nonpandemic fathers and low-functioning family fathers. Pandemic conditions may have negatively affected obesity-related parenting practices, but most associations were moderated by the familial context. The extent to which this will have long-lasting effects on adolescents' health needs to be further explored. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The Work/Care Interface and Parents’ Mid-pandemic Mental Health: Inequalities at the Intersection of Gender and High-risk Household Status

The COVID-19 pandemic generated mental health stressors for parents as they faced new health risks and navigated disruptions to employment, schooling, and care arrangements. Drawing on 2021 survey data from Canadian parents of children 10 years old and younger, we describe the relationship between work/care pandemic stressors and mental health, and employ Kitagawa-Oaxaca-Blinder decompositions to examine how these contribute to mental health gaps by gender and its intersection with having household members perceived to be at high risk in relation to COVID-19. We find that mothers’ mental health was more negatively affected than fathers’. Differences in exposure to work/care stressors help explain this gap, with the “mental load,” perceptions of inequity in how households responded to pandemic care demands, and greater reported deterioration in work-family balance and career prospects particularly salient. Mothers, but not fathers, with high-risk household members were also more exposed to key work/care stressors, contributing to the worst pandemic mental health for this group. While the relationship between stressors and mental health was similar for mothers and fathers overall, high-risk status moderated this relationship, with employment or care disruptions that reduced COVID-19 exposure less likely to be associated with poorer mental health for parents in high-risk families.

“I shall not poison my child with your human experiment”: Investigating predictors of parents’ hesitancy about vaccinating younger children (

BackgroundSince the approval of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines for younger children (those under the age of 12), uptake has been low. Despite widespread vaccination among older children and adults, these trends may undermine public health efforts to manage future waves of SARS-CoV-2 or spill over into other childhood vaccines. The objectives of this study were to understand parents’ intentions to vaccinate their children (under age 12) against SARS-CoV-2, and to explore reasons for and against SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. MethodsA representative sample of parents of school-aged children (ages 3–11 years) from Canada’s four largest provinces were invited in June 2021 to complete a survey on the impact of COVID-19 on schooling. The survey included specific questions on parents’ intentions to vaccinate their child(ren) against SARS-CoV-2. Multinomial regression models were run to estimate associations between demographic factors, political affiliation and voting, concerns about individual / family health and vaccination intention. ResultsA total of 74.0 % of parents (n = 288) intended to vaccinate their children with the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, 18.3 % (n = 71) did not intend to vaccinate and 7.7 % (n = 30) were unsure. The strongest predictor of parental hesitancy was whether a parent had themselves been vaccinated. Other factors including past voting behaviour, dissatisfaction with the government’s response to the pandemic, and relatively less concern about contracting SARS-CoV-2 were also correlated with hesitancy. Parents of older children were more likely to indicate plans to vaccinate their child(ren). Analysis of the reasons for hesitancy showed parents are concerned about the safety and side effects of the vaccine, as well as with processes of testing and approval. InterpretationA considerable proportion of Canadian parents of younger school-aged children (ages 3–11) were unsure and/or hesitant about vaccinating their children against SARS-CoV-2. As well, a much larger proportion who are not necessarily hesitant have also not had their children vaccinated. Given the evolving nature of SARS-CoV-2, including the continued emergence of new variants, reaching younger children will be important for population health. Health providers should continue to work with government institutions to ensure clear communication regarding the safety, efficacy, and importance of child vaccines for reaching public health goals.

Middle-class parental engagement in pandemic times: developing strategies and mobilizing capitals

Despite the rhetoric of ‘we are all in this together’ during the COVID-19 pandemic, not all families experienced schooling disruption in 2020–2022 equally. middle-class parents typically enjoy significant advantage over parents in working-class occupations. To illuminate class-based differences in parental engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic, here we present data from interviews with 15 middle-class Canadian parents. We found that middle-class parents successfully mobilized their economic, social, and cultural capital to manage challenges they faced: lack of structure and routine, lack of communication with the school, perceived low quality of instruction and resources, student isolation during online learning, and parental stress about children’s schooling during the pandemic. The main implication of the study is that although middle-class parents in the study acknowledged their privilege more compared to prior research on middle-class parental engagement, ultimately, their individual solutions to pandemic challenges merely exacerbated existing social inequalities in education.

Children's Independent Mobility, School Travel, and the Surrounding Neighborhood

IntroductionChildren's active travel to and from school (AST) and children's independent mobility (CIM) are consistently positively associated with physical activity (PA); however, few researchers have investigated associations between objective measures of the environment and indicators of AST and CIM in national samples. MethodsA national sample of 2,067 Canadian parents of 7- to 12-year-old children was recruited in December 2020. Regression analyses were used in 2023 to assess the association between geographic information system measures of park density, blue space, population density, greenspace, intersection density, and CIM and AST to and from school. ResultsChildren in areas with high versus low park density (>0.025 vs. ≤0.025) had higher odds of travel to school via active modes (OR: 1.47(1.14, 1.91), p=0.003). Children in neighborhoods in the highest quartile for neighborhood greenspace (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) were more likely to travel to home actively than those in areas of lower greenspace (OR: 1.70 (1.18, 2.45), p=0.004). On average, children living in areas in the highest versus the lowest quartile for intersection density were more likely to engage in AST to (OR:2.43(1.58, 3.75), p<0.001) and from (OR:2.77(1.80, 4.29), p<0.001) school. ConclusionsThe observed associations underscore a need for city planners and policymakers to ensure sufficient access to parks and neighborhood greenspace, especially if findings are confirmed in longitudinal studies. More research is needed to investigate the role of intersection density in supporting AST and CIM.

Family and consensual non‐monogamy: Parents' perceptions of benefits and challenges

AbstractObjectiveThis study explores the perspectives of parents in open or polyamorous relationships with regards to challenges and benefits of practicing consensual non‐monogamy (CNM).BackgroundStudies show that about one in five people, both in Canada and the United States, have been involved in a CNM relationship in their lifetime, a proportion that is even higher among today's young adults. While we know that many of those people have children, little research has focused on the experiences of parents practicing CNM.MethodThis article begins to fill this gap, drawing on 34 individual semi‐structured interviews with Canadian parents involved in CNM relationships and their partners. The author explores the benefits and challenges associated with raising children in the context of CNM, as experienced by the participants.ResultsThe vast majority of participants argued that the benefits of being polyamorous or in an open relationship considerably outweighed the difficulties they encountered. Six overarching themes emerged from the participants' discourses, namely: (1) social acceptance and legal protection, (2) coming out to children, (3) time management, (4) reconciling family obligations and personal needs, (5) it takes a village to raise children, and (6) teaching important values to children.ConclusionUltimately, this study shows that parents practicing CNM perceive their relationship model as mostly beneficial for themselves, as parents, and for their family.