Parental Confidence Research Articles

The impact of parental confidence in using technology on parental engagement in children's education at home during COVID-19 lockdowns: evidence from 19 countries.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43545-023-00672-0.

Feasibility and Acceptability of Parenting for Lifelong Health Program in Mainland China

Purpose: Parenting for Lifelong Health for Young Children (PLH-YC) is a program to prevent child maltreatment. This study aimed to examine the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary effects of the adapted program for Chinese parents. Methods: A pre–post single-arm pilot trial was conducted with 21 Chinese parents. A mixed-method design was utilized to collect questionnaire-based quantitative data and qualitative data of interviews and focus group discussions. Results: Program implementation was feasible, with overall high recruitment, enrollment, attendance, acceptability and fidelity. Quantitative results demonstrated reductions in general child maltreatment, physical and emotional abuse, child behavioral problems, and improvements in positive parenting. Thematic analyses identified reduced violent discipline, psychological aggression, and child behavioral problems, strengthened parent–child bonds, increased parenting confidence, and decreased family conflict. Conclusion: The adapted PLH-YC program for Chinese parents has shown good feasibility and acceptability, and exhibited a significant association with reduced child maltreatment. Further randomized controlled trials are required.

Objective and subjective barriers to the effective pediatric iron deficiency anemia control: results of questionnaire assessment of pediatricians and parents

Background. Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) remains a pressing pediatric issue to date. Despite the availability of clinical guidelines and other publications that highlight the objective causes for the lack of effectiveness of treatment and prevention of IDA in children, the subjective reasons are unrenowned.Objective. The aim of the study is to evaluate health beliefs of pediatricians and parents on the problem of anemia in children to investigation into the objective and subjective causes for inadequate control of iron deficiency conditions in childhood.Materials and methods. In September 2022, single-step parallel survey of pediatricians and parents on the problem of IDA in children was conducted by random sampling technique using original questionnaires. The questions were formulated on five topics and related to a common understanding of the term “anemia”; priority reference sources; availability of diagnosis of IDA in medical institutions (MI); the position of pediatricians and parents on the treatment and prevention of IDA in children. Based on the results, the main subjective and objective barriers to the control of IDA in children are identified. The χ2 method was used for the comparative evaluation of the responses. The differences were considered significant at statistical significance of p < 0.05.Results. Pediatricians (n = 81) and parents (n = 363) from 23 members of the Russian Federation took the survey. Among the objective barriers to the IDA control in children, the low availability of serum ferritin in MI, difficulties of venous access in children, a shortage of a range of iron preparations for children on Russian market were revealed. The subjective barriers were the skepticism of pediatricians and parents about the necessity for conservative prevention of IDA; poor knowledge of the criteria for diagnosis IDA and completion of IDA therapy by pediatricians; insufficient independence and selectivity of pediatricians when prescribing iron preparations; orientation of the majority of parents (93.7%) to the opinion of doctors, along with the actual rarity of full-fledged conversations with a pediatrician (16.3%).Conclusion. The main limitation of this study was the random sample method inclusion of respondents due to the impossibility of conducting a full-fledged population study. Elimination of the revealed subjective and objective factors can contribute to improving the detection of IDA in children, early appointment and higher effectiveness of treatment, reducing the frequency of disease recurrences, as well as increasing the confidence of parents in pediatricians.

Why Parents Say No to Having Their Children Vaccinated against Measles: A Systematic Review of the Social Determinants of Parental Perceptions on MMR Vaccine Hesitancy.

Ongoing outbreaks of measles threaten its elimination status in the United States. Its resurgence points to lower parental vaccine confidence and local pockets of unvaccinated and undervaccinated individuals. The geographic clustering of hesitancy to MMR indicates the presence of social drivers that shape parental perceptions and decisions on immunization. Through a qualitative systematic review of published literature (n = 115 articles; 7 databases), we determined major themes regarding parental reasons for MMR vaccine hesitancy, social context of MMR vaccine hesitancy, and trustworthy vaccine information sources. Fear of autism was the most cited reason for MMR hesitancy. The social drivers of vaccine hesitancy included primary care/healthcare, education, economy, and government/policy factors. Social factors, such as income and education, exerted a bidirectional influence, which facilitated or hindered vaccine compliance depending on how the social determinant was experienced. Fear of autism was the most cited reason for MMR hesitancy. Vaccine hesitancy to MMR and other childhood vaccines clustered in middle- to high-income areas among mothers with a college-level education or higher who preferred internet/social media narratives over physician-based vaccine information. They had low parental trust, low perceived disease susceptibility, and were skeptical of vaccine safety and benefits. Combating MMR vaccine misinformation and hesitancy requires intersectoral and multifaceted approaches at various socioecological levels to address the social drivers of vaccine behavior.

Differences in parental vaccine confidence and attitudes by health system in Guatemala and their impact on immunization timeliness.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate parental confidence and attitudes towards immunization in urban Guatemala between private versus public health systems and their impact on vaccination timeliness in their children. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in parents 6-18-month-old children who attended well-child outpatient clinics from two health systems (public employee-based insurance and private health care) in Guatemala City from November 2017 through August 2018. Parental demographics, household characteristics, food insecurity, vaccine hesitancy using the WHO SAGE Vaccine Hesitancy Scale, and information on parental use of social media platforms and vaccine information sources were collected. Five hundred-three parents were surveyed, most of them mothers. Only 9 parents reported they had previously refused a vaccine for their child: 8 (3.2%) from private clinics and 1 (0.4%) from the public clinic (p=0.02). Significantly more children attending private clinics (226, 90.4%) were shown to have a delay in any of their vaccines scheduled for the first 2years of life compared to those in the public clinic (169, 66.8%; p<0.01). Children of parents having a college degree (84.5 vs 70.1%; p<0.001), earning more than US$ 1,000 per month (81.5 vs 70.7%; p<0.001), and having a computer at home (81.4 vs 70.2; p=0.007) were more likely to have any delays in the scheduled vaccines. Parents seeking care at private clinics were 1.14 times more at risk of delaying a vaccine compared to those at the public clinic, adjusted for other covariates (p=0.03, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.28). In Guatemala, children receiving immunizations at private clinics were significantly more likely than those attending public clinics to be delayed in their immunization schedule and to remain more days without the recommended protection, especially for third doses of the primary vaccine series.

Barriers to, and facilitators of, eHealth utilisation by parents of high-risk newborn infants in the NICU: a scoping review protocol

IntroductionParental presence in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) has been demonstrated to enhance infant growth and development, reduce parental anxiety and stress and strengthen parent–infant bonding. Since eHealth technology...

Exploring the Acceptability, Feasibility, and Effectiveness of a Digital Parenting Program to Improve Parental Well-being After the Christchurch Earthquakes: Cluster-Randomized Trial.

Up to 6 years after the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes, approximately one-third of parents in the Christchurch region reported difficulties managing the continuously high levels of distress their children were experiencing. In response, an app named Kākano was co-designed with parents to help them better support their children's mental health. The objective of this study was to evaluate the acceptability, feasibility, and effectiveness of Kākano, a mobile parenting app to increase parental confidence in supporting children struggling with their mental health. A cluster-randomized delayed access controlled trial was carried out in the Christchurch region between July 2019 and January 2020. Parents were recruited through schools and block randomized to receive immediate or delayed access to Kākano. Participants were given access to the Kākano app for 4 weeks and encouraged to use it weekly. Web-based pre- and postintervention measurements were undertaken. A total of 231 participants enrolled in the Kākano trial, with 205 (88.7%) participants completing baseline measures and being randomized (101 in the intervention group and 104 in the delayed access control group). Of these, 41 (20%) provided full outcome data, of which 19 (18.2%) were for delayed access and 21 (20.8%) were for the immediate Kākano intervention. Among those retained in the trial, there was a significant difference in the mean change between groups favoring Kākano in the brief parenting assessment (F1,39=7, P=.012) but not in the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (F1,39=2.9, P=.099), parenting self-efficacy (F1,39=0.1, P=.805), family cohesion (F1,39=0.4, P=.538), or parenting sense of confidence (F1,40=0.6, P=.457). Waitlisted participants who completed the app after the waitlist period showed similar trends for the outcome measures with significant changes in the brief assessment of parenting and the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale. No relationship between the level of app usage and outcome was found. Although the app was designed with parents, the low rate of completion of the trial was disappointing. Kākano is an app co-designed with parents to help manage their children's mental health. There was a high rate of attrition, as is often seen in digital health interventions. However, for those who did complete the intervention, there was some indication of improved parental well-being and self-assessed parenting. Preliminary indications from this trial show that Kākano has promising acceptability, feasibility, and effectiveness, but further investigation is warranted. Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12619001040156; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=377824&isReview=true.

Development of a Tailored Mobile Phone-Based Intervention to Facilitate Parent-Child Communication and Build Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Confidence: Formative Qualitative Study.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine hesitancy is on the rise, and provider communication is a first-line strategy to address parental concerns. The use of the presumptive approach and motivational interviewing by providers may not be enough to influence parental decision-making owing to the providers' limited time, self-efficacy, and skills to implement these strategies. Interventions to enhance provider communication and build parental HPV vaccine confidence have been undertested. Delivering tailored patient education to parents via mobile phones before they visit the health care provider may address time constraints during clinic visits and positively affect vaccine uptake. This study aimed to describe the development and evaluate the acceptability of a mobile phone-based, family-focused intervention guided by theory to address concerns of HPV vaccine-hesitant parents before the clinic visit, as well as explore intervention use to facilitate parent-child communication. The health belief model and theory of reasoned action guided intervention content development. A multilevel stakeholder engagement process was used to iteratively develop the HPVVaxFacts intervention, including a community advisory board review, a review by an advisory panel comprising HPV vaccine-hesitant parents, a health communications expert review, semistructured qualitative interviews with HPV vaccine-hesitant parents (n=31) and providers (n=15), and a content expert review. Inductive thematic analysis was used to identify themes in the interview data. The qualitative interviews yielded 4 themes: overall views toward mobile device use for health information, acceptability of HPVVaxFacts, facilitators of HPVVaxFacts use, and barriers to HPVVaxFacts use. In parent interviews after reviewing HPVVaxFacts prototypes, almost all parents (29/31, 94%) stated they intended to have their child vaccinated. Most of the parents stated that they liked the added adolescents' corner to engage in optional parent-child communication (ie, choice to share and discuss information with their child; 27/31, 87%) and shared decision-making in some cases (8/31, 26%). After incorporating all input, the final intervention consisted of a 10-item survey to identify the top 3 concerns of parents, followed by tailored education that was mapped to each of the following concerns: evidential messages, images or graphics to enhance comprehension and address low literacy, links to credible websites, a provider video, suggested questions to ask their child's physician, and an optional adolescents' corner to educate the patient and support parent-child communication. The multilevel stakeholder-engaged process used to iteratively develop this novel intervention for HPV vaccine-hesitant families can be used as a model to develop future mobile health interventions. This intervention is currently being pilot-tested in preparation for a randomized controlled trial aiming to increase HPV vaccination among adolescent children of vaccine-hesitant parents in a clinic setting. Future research can adapt HPVVaxFacts for other vaccines and use in other settings (eg, health departments and pharmacies).

Expert nurses’ perceived parenting difficulties in Neonatal Intensive Care unit: A qualitative inductive study

PurposeThe birth of a high-risk newborn has significant psychosocial impacts on the family. Parents often experience difficulties in parenting after discharge. This study aimed to clarify the phenomena NICU expert nurses perceived and practiced during nursing care regarding concerns for parenting based on their focus and consciousness. Design and methodsThis qualitative descriptive study involved semi-structured interviews with six nurses (an average of 13.8 years of NICU nursing experience). Participants were asked to describe cases in which they provided nursing practices to parents with hospitalized children because they were concerned about their parenting. Fifteen cases with positive outcomes were inductively analyzed. ResultsFour main types of phenomena were observed: Adaptation to the parenting role, capacity of parenting including the parenting environment, readiness for parenthood, and an environment that nurtures parental confidence. Some cases involved more than one phenomenon. ConclusionsThe phenomenon wherein expert nurses anticipated the growing difficulties in parenting was found in interactions with parents of hospitalized children and in making them aware of their experiences. Clarifying their clinical reasoning and practice processes and the factors that enabled them may improve nurses’ practice skills and the well-being of children and families. Practice implicationsThe results may contribute to identifying parents who need careful support to achieve secure childcare and create a supportive environment for parents and children.

Stakeholders' perspectives on caregiver outcomes for health care transition for adolescents and young adults with special health care needs: A qualitative study.

Previous literature has explored parent/caregiver perspectives and satisfaction with the health care transition (HCT) process for their adolescents and young adults with special health care needs (AYASHCN). Limited research has explored the opinion of health care providers and researchers on parent/caregiver outcomes associated with a successful HCT for AYASHCN. A web-based survey was distributed through the international and interdisciplinary Health Care Transition Research Consortium listserv, which at the time of the survey was composed of 148 providers dedicated to optimizing the HCT of AYAHSCN. Participants responded to the open-ended question, 'What parent/caregiver-related outcome(s) would represent a successful healthcare transition?' Respondents included 109 providers (52 health care professionals, 38 social service professionals and 19 other). Responses were coded for emergent themes, and research suggestions were identified. Qualitative analyses identified two major themes: emotion- and behaviour-based outcomes. Emotion-based subthemes included relinquishing control of child's health management (n= 50, 45.9%) as well as parental satisfaction and confidence in their child's care and HCT (n= 42, 38.5%). Respondents also noted that parents/caregivers should experience an improved sense of well-being and decreased stress (n= 9, 8.2%) due to a successful HCT. Behaviour-based outcomes included early preparation and planning for HCT (n= 12, 11.0%) and parental instruction on the knowledge and skills necessary for their adolescent to independently manage their health (n= 10, 9.1%). Health care providers can assist parents/caregivers in learning strategies for instructing their AYASHCN about condition-related knowledge and skills as well as provide support for 'letting go' of the caregiver role during the HCT to adult-focused health services and adulthood. Communication between the AYASCH, their parents/caregivers and paediatric- and adult-focused providers needs to be consistent and comprehensive to ensure continuity of care and a successful HCT. We also offered strategies to address the outcomes suggested by the participants of this study.

Confidence in the Future and Adolescent Problem Behavior

“Low expectation of success” is proposed as a factor in relation to problem behavior in the comprehensive theoretical model of problem behavior (CTMPB). Based on the framework of CTMPB, this study aimed to further examine the association between confidence in the future (including parental confidence in the adolescent future and adolescent self-confidence in the future in this study) and problem behavior. A nationwide representative sample data from the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS) were used in this study. A total of 8328 middle school students and their parents were included. Among the students, 4081 (49.0%) were boys, the mean age was 14.53 years (SD = 0.70); among the parents, 3908 (46.9%) were male, the mean age was 41.15 years (SD = 5.14). The results reveal that parental confidence in adolescent future (PCAF) can play a role in adolescent problem behavior through adolescent perceived parental confidence in adolescent future (APPCAF) and adolescent self-confidence in the future (ASF). Low levels of both PCAF and ASF are vulnerability risk factors in adolescent problem behavior. Lowering PCAF and ASF might increase the likelihood of engaging in problem behavior. However, this study was based on cross-sectional data only and is required to be supported by further experimental or longitudinal studies.

Importance of vaccination against human papillomavirus in a rural settlement in Terenos, Mato Grosso do Sul.

To understand health professionals' perceptions about vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) in the Santa Mônica rural settlement in Terenos, Mato Grosso do Sul. Quantitative and qualitative methodologies, consultations on vaccination cards, records of community health agents and the focus group technique were used. The main factors of hesitation and vaccine refusal were analyzed, as well as the health team's strategies for the process of immunization against HPV, from June to August 2018. Of 121 children and adolescents, 81 (66.94%) received the complete vaccination schedule. Complete vaccination coverage for women was 73.17% (60/82) and for men, 53.8% (21/39). It was observed that, although strategies are adopted for vaccine promotion, such as mobile actions, the public is resistant due to superficial knowledge about the vaccine and its use in an early age group, showing itself to be susceptible to the negative influence of the media and to society's taboos. In addition, difficulties regarding the use of the Unified Health System card and the shortage of professionals were also observed. The results explain the immunization coverage below the target and reinforce the need to strengthen the family health strategy, as well as the permanent and continuing education of professionals, in order to increase parental confidence and adherence to vaccination.

A Review of Parental Vaccine Hesitancy for Human Papillomavirus in Japan.

Globally, Japan has the lowest rate of vaccine confidence. The persistent parental vaccine hesitancy has been attributed to safety and efficacy concerns and is primarily driven by the negative experience with human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines. This literature review aimed to identify factors associated with HPV vaccine uptake and potential strategies to reduce vaccine hesitancy among Japanese parents. Articles published in English or Japanese between January 1998 and October 2022 that examined Japanese parental factors for HPV vaccine uptake were identified from PubMed, Web of Science, and Ichushi-Web. In total, 17 articles met the inclusion criteria. Four key themes which affected HPV vaccine hesitancy and acceptance were identified: perceptions of risk and benefits, trust and recommendation, information and knowledge, and sociodemographic characteristics. While governmental and healthcare provider recommendations are important factors, efforts to improve parental confidence in the HPV vaccine are required. Future interventions to counteract HPV vaccine hesitancy should actively disseminate information on vaccine safety and effectiveness, along with information on the severity and susceptibility of HPV infection.

Parental Perceptions of Family-Centred Supports for Children with Developmental Disabilities.

Family-centred interventions have long been advocated in paediatric practice and in public health, but their implementation is rarer with children experiencing developmental disabilities. Moreover, the uptake is lower in families from more socially deprived backgrounds. Yet there is robust evidence that such interventions bring benefits to the family caregivers as well as to the affected children. The present study emerged from a support service that had been located in a rural county in Ireland in which nearly 100 families of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities had participated. Using a qualitative research methodology, interviews were conducted with 16 parents who had taken part in the service with the aim of gaining insights into the ways a family-centred service had been of value to them. The themes identified in their responses were validated in two ways. All parents were given the opportunity to provide their perceptions using a self-completion questionnaire, and nearly 50% responded. In addition, seven health and social care staff who had referred families to the project were asked their views through personal interviews. The core theme to emerge was the focus placed on family engagement by the service, with four subthemes emerging: parental confidence boosted; children developed; community connections were made; and supportive staff. These insights should help existing health and social care services to become more family-centred and inform the development of new support services in response to the high levels of unmet needs among marginalized families in even the most affluent countries.

Improving Parenting Self-Efficacy in Post-Partum Sectio Caesarea

Postpartum cesarean will undergo many physiological changes. In this phase, mothers often become more sensitive due to various changes that occur both physically and emotionally, thus requiring an adjustment or adaptation process for the mother. Parenting Self Efficacy is an effort to foster parental confidence in their ability to manage and carry out caring for the baby, including post-C-section delivery.The research design used a quasi-experimental method through pre and post-test with a control group non-probability sampling technique with a purposive sampling approach. The research subjects were 30 postpartum cesareans and were divided into experimental and control groups. The intervention group was given booklets and counseling, while the control group was only given booklets. Data collection using the PSE Scale instrument and family support instruments. Data analysis used an independent sample t-test. This research was conducted at Siti Fatimah Hospital, Tulangan Sidoarjo. The research population is all postpartum cesarean mothers. The sample of this research was 30 postpartum mothers (6 hours-1 per day) wreathed at Siti Fatimah Hospital, Tulangan Sidoarjo.The results of the study After being given the booklet and counseling, there was a significant increase in the intervention group. There were differences in PSE scores on cognitive aspects, affective aspects, skills aspects, and parenting self-efficacy, the characteristics of the research subjects in the intervention and control groups were homogeneous, and most of the intervention groups had scores which were as higher 9 (60%) after the intervention was given significantly (p&lt;0.05). Suggestions for providing PSE information through counseling and providing booklets in hospitals by midwives can be given to all postpartum, especially new parents, individually to provide knowledge and self-confidence for mothers in caring for themselves and their babies at home.

Karitane Parenting Confidence Scale: measuring parenting self-efficacy in Portuguese mothers during the first year postpartum

ABSTRACT Background The Karitane Parenting Confidence Scale (KPCS) was designed to assess parenting self-efficacy in parents of infants during the first year. Objective The aim of this study was to analyse the psychometric characteristics of the KPCS in Portuguese mothers during the first-year postpartum. Methods A sample of 383 mothers were recruited at two public outpatient units in Northern Portugal. Mothers completed the KPCS, a sociodemographic questionnaire, and measures of depressive and anxiety symptoms at least one time between two weeks, three, six and 12 months postpartum. Results Good fit was found for a factor model with three subscales: parenting, support and child development. The KPCS presented good internal consistency. Regarding the criterion validity of the KPCS, significant effects of mother’s age were found on the development subscale and significant associations were found between mother’s depressive and anxiety symptoms and the KPCS total scale and subscales. Optimal clinical cut-offs were suggested. Conclusion Findings provided evidence on the psychometric characteristics of the KPCS which can be used to assess parenting self-efficacy in Portuguese mothers during the first-year postpartum, possibly identifying mothers with low parenting self-efficacy.

Holistic community-based group parenting programs for mothers with maternal mental health issues help address a growing public health need for a diversity of vulnerable mothers, children and families: Findings from an action research study.

Maternal mental illness is a major growing global concern which can affect parenting with serious negative implications for offspring. Group-based parenting programs for mothers which both enhance the parent-child relationship and address mental health symptoms in a supportive social setting may optimise better outcomes for mothers and children. The Acorn program in South Australia draws on attachment theory to integrate dance play, reflective diary keeping and therapeutic letters in a holistic program for a diversity of vulnerable mothers and children aged 1-36 months. The program seeks to nurture and enhance parental wellbeing and the quality of the parent-child relationship for mothers experiencing identified mental health illnesses that impinge upon their parenting. This study presents the evaluation of the program and its effectiveness. Action research approach for continuous monitoring and program improvement engaging Acorn program staff in evaluation data collection and interpretation of pre and post self-completion measures and standardized observations. Additional data was collected through a telephone interview of attending mothers 6-8 months after program completion to address sustainable impacts on parenting and wellbeing. The program engaged 353 diverse vulnerable mothers with their children. Many had profound overlapping mental health issues including borderline personality disorder (BPD) and depression. The quality of the parent-child interaction, parental confidence, competence and enjoyment were enhanced; mothers' wellbeing, ability to cope and lasting social supports were augmented. This occurred for a number of "most vulnerable" subgroups including single mothers, mothers with BPD, mothers from non-English speaking households and those with lower levels of education or household income. Mothers reported sustained improvements in their wellbeing, parenting, social and family lives, and feeling closer to their child as a result of participating in the program. Given the high prevalence of maternal mental health issues and substantial potential negative consequences for mothers and offspring, the Acorn parenting program offers an effective means of addressing this pressing public health issue potentially helping large numbers of vulnerable mothers and their children. This has additional gravitas in the shadow of COVID-19 due to expanded numbers of those experiencing greater parental stress, isolation and mental illness.

Complications of Gastrostomy and Gastrojejunostomy: The Prevalence in Children.

This study aimed to provide an overview of the prevalence of the complications of a gastrostomy or a gastrojejunostomy with a low-profile gastric tube in children. The study also examined the effect of presence of the gastrostomy tube on the prevalence of complications. In this cross-sectional study, parents were invited to complete an online questionnaire. Children aged 0-16 years with a low-profile gastrostomy or gastrojejunostomy tube were included in the study. A total of 67 complete surveys were conducted. The mean age of the included children was seven years. The most common complications during the past week, were skin irritation (35.8%), abdominal pain (34.3%), and the formation of granulation tissue (29.9%). The most common complications during the past six months were skin irritation (47.8%), vomiting (43.4%), and abdominal pain (38.8%). Most complications occurred within the first year after gastrojejunostomy placement and gradually decreased as the duration since the placement of the gastrojejunostomy tube increased. The prevalence of severe complications was rare. Parental confidence in caring for the gastrostomy positively correlated with increases in the duration of the gastrostomy tube. Even so, parental confidence in the care of the gastrostomy tube was reduced in some parents more than a year after its placement. The prevalence of gastrojejunostomy complications in children is relatively high. The incidences of severe complications after the placement of a gastrojejunostomy tube were rare in this study. A lack of confidence in the care of the gastrostomy tube was noted in some parents more than a year after its placement.

DETERMINANTS OF VACCINE HESITANCY AMONG PARENTS IN KYIV.

The aim: Assess of the determinants of vaccine hesitancy among parents regarding their children in Kyiv, Ukraine. Materials and methods: Direct interview with survey on parents' attitudes and behaviors regarding their children's immunization. Vaccination hesitancy was determined with the median of responses and by self-reported question. The study was conducted among parents, whose children were patients at Children's hospitals, attend schools and kindergarten in Kyiv, Ukraine. Results: The median of vaccine hesitancy was 14,2% of 797 parents in Kyiv. The results show that 81.5% of parents with university degree agree that vaccination of their child is important for the health of others in the community, whereas only 67% (p≤0.05) of people who graduated from high school supported this view. The only reason to vaccinate their child is so they can enter daycare or school was marked by only 4.5% of parents with university education background and 15.3% of people who graduated from high school (p≤0,05). Conclusions: Vast majority of interviewed parents think that vaccines are important for their children; meanwhile only half of the parents fully trust the current National Immunization Schedule and fully agree that question of child vaccination is their responsibility. Consulting pediatricians and GPs are associated with more parental confidence than other medical workers. Main source of negative information about vaccines is the Internet, but some part of parents who received negative information indicates health care workers as a source of this information. Majority of parents thinks that their religion is compatible with vaccines.

Stay-at-home, Safe at Home? A survey of parental home safety practices before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundTo slow the spread of COVID-19, many nonessential businesses, daycares, and schools closed, and areas imposed “stay-at-home” orders. Closures led to young children spending more time at home, traditionally, the place where more than one-half of unintentional pediatric injuries occur. The objective of the current study was to describe parental safety perceptions and confidence, safety device purchase and installation, and injury prevention practices and behaviors, in homes with children 6 years of age and younger, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA cross-sectional survey with a convenience sample of US participants, 18 years or older, was conducted from November 2020 to February 2021. Parents of children (≤ 6 years) were recruited via social media ads and posts on Facebook and Twitter and invited to complete an anonymous, online survey about their home safety practices before and during the COVID-19 stay-at-home order. Upon completion, parents could participate in a prize drawing to receive one of five $100 gift cards.ResultsA total of 499 participants completed the survey. Most (47.9%) were 45–54 years of age and reported the amount of time at home increased for them (93.9%) and their children (90.6%) during the stay-at-home period. Thirty-seven percent (36.9%) of parents considered their homes safe but recognized room for improvement and felt confident in their ability to make their homes safe for their children (72.8%). From the time before until the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders were in place, parents increased their home injury prevention practices (42.3%). Parents that had identified unsafe areas in the home before the stay-at-home order were significantly more likely to increase their safety behaviors, take childproofing actions, and purchase or install safety devices during the stay-at-home order (p < 0.0001). Parents with younger children (5 years) were significantly more likely than parents with older children to take childproofing actions (p < .0001) including purchasing and installing safety devices (p < 0.0001).ConclusionsSpending more time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic may have helped the sampled parents, especially those with younger children, identify unsafe areas in their homes and encourage them to modify their behaviors, and purchase and install safety devices to help make their homes safer for their children.