Parents Of Middle School Children Research Articles

Understanding barriers and motivations to papillomavirus vaccination in a middle school in Reunion Island

BackgroundIn Reunion Island, papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination coverage is low. A study encouraging vaccination in middle school showed low rate of participation. The main objective of the study was to understand barriers and motivations to HPV vaccination in populations yet sensitized to its benefits. MethodsThe study focused on population around the intervention school where a health promotion program was conducted during school year 2020–2021. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews among children, children’s parents, school staff, general practitioners (GP) and association members were conducted. A qualitative study was adopted using a grounded theory approach to obtain an in-depth understanding of issues pertaining to HPV vaccination. FindingsA total of 19 school staff members, 20 parents of middle school children, 39 children, 5 GPs and 3 association members were interviewed in May 2021. Anti-vaccination attitudes included: fear of serious adverse effects (such as fertility) due to poor knowledge, fear of encouraging sexuality among teenagers, mistrust towards scientists and the pharmaceutical industry and the negative impact from social networks. However, we found that the influence of the school, GP’s and ‘story-telling’ study testimonials were crucial to invert the balance and motivate children’s vaccination. InterpretationReproductive adverse events related to the HPV vaccine may be strongly perceived amongst our population, either regarding fertility or negative fetal effects; though Reunion island has 5% of pregnancies among teenagers.It is crucial to lift this taboo related to sexuality and encourage dialogue between children and their close social network. This better understanding of barriers and motivations will help us increase the impact of school-based HPV vaccination, which will be introduced in September 2023 in whole France.

Concussion knowledge, attitudes, and norms: How do they relate?

Relationships between the constructs of concussion-related knowledge, attitudes, and norms and their influence on observed care-seeking behaviors have previously been examined. Current models posit that these constructs serve as potential mediators of care-seeking behaviors; however, the dynamics between them have yet to be reconciled. A cross-sectional, online survey explored relationships among the latent constructs of concussion-related knowledge, attitudes, and norms in parents of middle school children who participate in sports in multiple settings. A just-identified and two overidentified path models were explored and compared in an effort to understand such relationships. A total of 426 parents of United States middle school students were surveyed and included in analyses (mean age = 38.7±9.9 years; 55.6% female; 51.4% white/non-Hispanic; 56.1% with at least a bachelor's degree). All parents had middle school aged children who participated in sport in both the club and school settings. The best fitting model was a just-identified model with concussion-related norms influencing concussion-related knowledge and attitudes, and concussion-related knowledge influencing attitudes. This model accounted for 14% of the variance in attitude and 12% of the variance in knowledge. Study findings suggest that the constructs of concussion-related knowledge, attitudes and norms are directly related to one another, yet the dynamics of such relationships may be complex. As such, a parsimonious interpretation of these constructs may not be appropriate. Future research should work to further reconcile the dynamics between these constructs, and the impact these dynamics may have in influencing care-seeking behaviors beyond serving as mediators.

Reporting of Concussion Symptoms by a Nationwide Survey of United States Parents of Middle School Children

This cross-sectional study assessed concussion symptom knowledge of parents of middle school (MS) children (aged 10–15 years) through a free-response item that solicited concussion symptoms and compared findings to a pre-validated scale-based measure. A self-administered online questionnaire was sent to a panel of randomly selected United States residents who were recruited by a third-party company, aged ≥ 18 years, and identified as parents of MS children. Via a free-response item, parents listed what they believed were concussion symptoms. Multiple sections later, parents identified potential concussion symptoms via a scale measure, which featured 25 items (22 actual symptoms, three distractor symptoms) with three response options: yes, no, maybe. Free-response item responses were coded into specific symptoms. The 1062 eligible parents that provided complete data commonly identified the symptoms of dizziness (90.2%), blurred vision (87.4%), and balance problems (86.4%) on the scale-based measure. However, these and other symptoms were less commonly identified via the free-response item (dizziness: 44.4%; blurred vision: 16.5%; balance problems: 3.5%). Concussion symptoms commonly reported via the scale-based measure were reported less frequently within the free-response item. Future research must explore strategies to help clinicians working with parents and their children to measure and assess concussion symptom reporting and knowledge.

Factors associated with concussion-symptom knowledge and attitudes toward concussion care seeking in a national survey of parents of middle-school children in the US

BackgroundDeveloping appropriate concussion prevention and management paradigms in middle school (MS) settings requires understanding parents’ general levels of concussion-related knowledge and attitudes. This study examined factors associated with concussion-symptom knowledge and care-seeking attitudes among parents of MS children (aged 10–15 years). MethodsA panel of 1224 randomly selected U.S. residents, aged ≥ 18 years and identifying as parents of MS children, completed an online questionnaire capturing parental and child characteristics. The parents’ concussion-symptom knowledge was measured using 25 questions, with possible answers being “yes”, “maybe”, and “no”. Correct answers earned 2 points, “maybe” answers earned 1 point, and incorrect answers earned 0 point (range: 0–50; higher scores = better knowledge). Concussion care-seeking attitudes were also collected using five 7-point scale items (range: 5–35; higher scores = more positive attitudes). Multivariable ordinal logistic regression models identified predictors of higher scores. Models met proportional odds assumptions. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) (excluding 1.00) were deemed statistically significant. ResultsMedian scores were 39 (interquartile range: 32–44) for symptom knowledge and 32 (interquartile range: 28–35) for care-seeking attitude. In multivariable models, odds of better symptom knowledge were higher in women vs. men (aOR = 2.28; 95%CI: 1.71–3.05), white/non-Hispanics vs. other racial or ethnic groups (aOR = 1.88; 95%CI: 1.42–2.49), higher parental age (10-year-increase aOR = 1.47; 95%CI: 1.26–1.71), and greater competitiveness (10%-scale-increase aOR = 1.24; 95%CI: 1.13–1.36). Odds of more positive care-seeking attitudes were higher in white/non-Hispanics vs. other racial or ethnic groups (aOR = 1.45; 95%CI: 1.06–1.99) and in older parental age (10-year-increase aOR = 1.24; 95%CI: 1.05–1.47). ConclusionCharacteristics of middle school children's parents (e.g., sex, race or ethnicity, age) are associated with their concussion-symptom knowledge and care-seeking attitudes. Parents’ variations in concussion knowledge and attitudes warrant tailored concussion education and prevention.

Use of sport-related concussion information sources among parents of United States middle school children

ObjectiveParents may use various information sources to obtain information about sport-related concussions (SRC). This study examined SRC-related information sources used by parents of United States middle school children (age: 10–15 years). MethodsA panel of 1083 randomly selected U.S. residents, aged ≥18 years and identifying as parents of middle school children, completed an online questionnaire capturing parental and child characteristics, and utilization and perceived trustworthiness of various sources of SRC-related information. Multivariable logistic regression models identified factors associated with utilizing each source. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) excluding 1.00 were deemed significant. ResultsDoctors/healthcare providers (49.9%) and other healthcare-related resources (e.g., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, WebMD) (37.8%) were common SRC-related information sources; 64.0% of parents utilized ≥1 of these sources. Both sources were considered “very” or “extremely” trustworthy for SRC-related information among parents using these sources (doctors/healthcare providers: 89.8%; other healthcare-related resources: 70.9%). A 10-year increase in parental age was associated with higher odds of utilizing doctors/healthcare providers (adjusted odd ratio (ORadjusted) = 1.09, 95%CI: 1.02–1.16) and other healthcare-related resources (ORadjusted = 1.11, 95%CI: 1.03–1.19). The odds of utilizing doctors/healthcare providers (ORadjusted = 0.58, 95%CI: 0.40–0.84) and other healthcare-related resources (ORadjusted = 0.64, 95%CI: 0.44–0.93) were lower among parents whose middle school children had concussion histories versus the parents of children who did not have concussion histories. ConclusionOne-third of parents did not report using doctors/healthcare providers or other healthcare-related resources for SRC-related information. Factors associated with underutilization of these sources may be targets for future intervention. Continuing education for healthcare providers and educational opportunities for parents should highlight accurate and up-to-date SRC-related information.

Children’s science learning outside school: Parental support

This study examined (a) the availability of basic science materials in children’s home environment, (b) the frequency of parents’ involvement in informal science activities with their children, (c) the level of opportunities parents offered their children for learning basic science subjects, and (d) the effect of grade level on parental support for children’s science learning. In this cross-sectional survey study, data were collected from 735 parents in a city in the north region of Turkey. Results revealed that most children did not have basic science materials at home. Parental support for making science trips was especially low. The parents supported their children’s learning most in the area of health, security, and nutrition. The MANOVA results indicated that the parents of middle school children supported their children significantly less to do science and nature activities compared to the parents of preschool and elementary school children. The middle school children were also less likely to be supported by their parents to learn science subjects related to matter, energy, and livings compared to preschool children. The parents of preschool children offered more opportunities for their children to learn science subjects related to sky compared to the parents of elementary and middle school children.

Effectiveness of Facebook Groups to Boost Participation in a Parenting Intervention.

Although family-based prevention programs have been shown to be effective at reducing adolescent substance use, it is often difficult and costly to recruit and retain parents in programs administered in person. The current study tested whether program engagement and parenting practices could be improved by offering parents in a self-directed family program access to a private Facebook group. Parents of middle school children (N = 103) were recruited through paid Facebook ads to a 5-week self-directed teen substance use prevention program to be completed at home together by parents and their children. Twothirds of parents (N = 72) were randomly assigned to a moderated private Facebook group that provided a forum for parents in the study to interact with each other, and onethird (N = 31) were randomized to use the intervention materials without additional support. Relatively few parents participated in the Facebook group and most did not find the experience useful. However, satisfaction with the program assessed 3months after program completion was high among all parents and most parents engaged with the materials, irrespective of Facebook group assignment. Overall, parents reported significantly lower conflict and more household rules 6months post-intervention compared to baseline. Parenting practices did not change more among those assigned to the Facebook group than among parents who used the materials on their own. The current findings suggest that providing opportunities for parents to interact online while participating in a self-directed family intervention may not help to increase engagement or improvements in parenting practices, particularly when few parents engage with each other.

Talking to Parents of Middle School Children About How to Support Healthful Food Choices at Home and at School

Talking to Parents of Middle School Children About How to Support Healthful Food Choices at Home and at School

Assessing Parent Perceptions of School Fit: The Development and Measurement Qualities of a Survey Scale

Students whose school environment fits their developmental needs also typically experience academic success and increased motivation. Most investigations of school fit, which focus on teachers’ and students’ perceptions, have found a general decline in fit across the transition from elementary to middle school. However, little research has examined the school-child fit from the parent perspective. In this article, we first detail the development process behind a new survey measure of parent perceptions of school fit. Second, using three online panel-based samples of parents from across the country (n1 = 323, n2 = 188, n3 = 1,033), we evaluate the scale's measurement properties and conduct exploratory analyses examining grade-level and income-based differences on reported school fit. Finally, in line with previous research, we find that parents of middle school children perceived statistically significantly worse fit than parents of elementary school children. Among parents of high school students, we found that, on average, high-income parents perceive statistically significantly better fit than low-income parents.

Getting Parents Involved: A Field Experiment in Deprived Schools

This article provides evidence that schools can influence parents' involvement in education, and this has causal effects on pupils' behaviour. Furthermore, it shows how the impact of more involved parents on their children is amplified at the class level by peer group interaction. We build on a large-scale controlled experiment run in a French deprived educational district, where parents of middle-school children were invited to participate in a simple program of parent–school meetings on how to get better involved in their children's education. At the end of the school year, we find that treated families have increased their school-and home-based involvement activities. In turn, pupils of treatment classes have developed more positive behaviour and attitudes in school, notably in terms of truancy and disciplinary sanctions (with effects-size around 15% of a standard deviation). However, test scores did not improve under the intervention. Our results suggest that parents are an input for schooling policies and it is possible to influence important aspects of the schooling process at low cost.

Why Don't Parents Participate in School Health Education?

This study examined factors that inhibit parent involvement in school health education. Parents of middle school children were surveyed to determine what factors constituted barriers to their participation in school health education activities. Specifically, this study examined the synergistic effects of multiple factors on parent involvement. Results illustrate that parents are likely to have low levels of participation in school health education if they (1) have a limited knowledge of opportunities to participate, (2) perceive that the school does not want them to participate, (3) perceive that the health education curriculum does not allow for parent involvement, and (4) perceive that their children would be embarrassed by their participation at school. When these factors combine, parents are far less likely to be involved at school. Implications of the study findings are discussed with particular focus on needed future research.

The value of the Parenting Scale for measuring the discipline practices of parents of middle school children

The psychometric properties of the Parenting Scale (Arnold, O'Leary, Wolff, and Acker, 1993), a 30-item instrument originally developed to assess the discipline practices of parents of preschool children, were examined for parents of middle school students. Subjects were 298 parents of middle school students identified as at-risk for problem behavior. An exploratory factor analysis identified two factors labeled `Overreactivity' and `Laxness', closely resembling two of the factors found by Arnold et al., but each of these factors contained only six items. Confirmatory factor analyses, using data from the first two assessments, replicated this factor structure. The factors were significantly correlated with measures of parents' behavior, with scales from the Child Behavior Checklist and Parent Daily Reports, and with the Beck Depression Inventory. The Laxness factor was less robust than the Overreactivity factor.

Guidelines for Involving Parent Volunteers

Parents of middle school children are often un prepared for the rapid changes in physical size and charac teristics taking place in their children. Nor do they realize that changes in interest and responses to other people are also a normal phase of early adolescent development. Yet it is at this point in the child's development that the school typically involves parents least. School parties, fun fairs, carnivals, and cookie exchanges which involved parents during elementary school years are often missing in the middle school. On the other hand, high school athletics, band, and school plays which involve parents are still in the future. Parents in the intermediate years sometimes feel that they have lost the privilege of being part of their child's school day. Too often middle schools have involved parents only as spectators or as fund raisers for school needs.