Positive Parental Attitudes Research Articles

부모의 긍정적 양육태도가 중학생의 학업열의에 미치는 영향

Objectives The purposes of this study were to analyze the structural relationshiips among positive parenting attitude, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and academic engagement of middle school students and to investigate the mediating effect of self-esteem and life satisfaction on the relationship between positive parenting attitude and middle school students’ academic engagement.
 Methods For the purpose of this study, the data of the 2nd year of the 2018 Korean Children and Youths Panel Survey was used. The structural model was verified using SPSS 23.0 and AMOS 23.0. The χ2value, CFI, TLI, RMSEA values were reviewed to verify the fit of the structural model. In addition, the bootstrapping procedure was performed to confirm the mediating effect.
 Results The results are as follows. First, there was a positive correlation between positive parenting attitude, middle school students’ self-esteem, life satisfaction, and academic engagement. Second, self-esteem mediated between positive parenting attitude and middle school students’ academic engagement. Third, life satisfaction mediated betweenpositive parenting attitude and middle school students’ academic engagement. Forth, self-esteem double-mediated between positive parenting attitude and academic engagement via life satisfaction.
 Conclusions The results of this study suggest that positive parenting attitudes are required in order to improve academic engagement during the middle school years when the academic burden is experienced as stress, and it is also necessary to pay attention to middle school students self-esteem and life satisfaction.

THE FRAMEWORK FOR EVALUATING CHILDREN’S WELLBEING AS RELATED TO THEIR ACTIVE SCHOOL TRAVELING (AST)

Investigating wellbeing-related concerns nowadays is greater than ever. This extends to all aspects of human beings’ daily life. In this context, children’s wellbeing is having an increasing interest as they are the core constituents of tomorrow’s world. Studies have affirmed the vital role of children’s physical activities as catalysts for all domains of their wellbeing. Active school traveling is one of these daily activities practiced by children frequently. The way it is practiced, and its interrelated activities are profoundly affecting children’s feeling and accordingly their well-being. However, the paper builds an argument about conceptualizing an applicable understanding of wellbeing. Reviewing several approaches, it exploits the capabilities approach to investigate the correlation between children’s active school traveling and their wellbeing. Using the outlines of children’s mobility framework, a set of domains were concluded within three categories specifying the children's movement from home to school and vice versa, and the fourth one is a general category. Two questionnaires are used to validate the paper’s theoretical approach. They were performed to a sample of two schools in Alexandria, Egypt targeting both students and their parents. The paper findings show the positive attitude of parents towards active school traveling as a means for conveying their children’s wellbeing. The results show the validity of applying resources/challenges balancing approach for understanding wellbeing obstacles while active school traveling is practiced. However, the results concluded in this paper can inform future studies by drawing attention to aspects to contemplate while investigating children’s wellbeing and mobility domain.

Operational Practices of School Program: An Evaluation to The Implementation of School-Based Feeding Program

This study aims to evaluate the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) and its impact on schools at Raposo Elementary School, Candelaria district, division of Zambales. The Input-Process-Output framework, questionnaire, informal interview, and observation were used as means of gathering data. The principal, entire teachers, feeding recipients from grade 3 to grade 6, and their parents were chosen to be respondents, thus, a purposive sampling technique was used. Using the descriptive-survey design, data gathered from a total of 54 respondents revealed that SBFP has an excellent impact on key indicators of school performance. It is also found out that this program alleviates short-term hunger and improves the nutritional status of learners. But it could be inferred that the positive attitude of parents towards the schooling of their child is the least attributed effect of SBFP. Thus, there is a need to strengthen parental involvement in organizing and implementing the SBFP and to revamp the policy framework detailing the management of the program. Therefore, as an output of this study, the proposed comprehensive school improvement plan of SBFP was designed to increase its beneficial effect and healthier operational practices.

Early Childhood Nutrition Education Service Model for the Community in the Pandemic Era

BACKGROUND: This study aims to find a model of early childhood nutrition education services for the community during the pandemic era. AIM: In detail, the purpose of this study is to describe increasing public knowledge about the importance of nutrition for early childhood and to describe increasing public positive attitudes about the importance of nutrition for early childhood during the pandemic era. METHODS: The model of early childhood nutrition education services for the community in the pandemic era has proven to be effective and significant in public knowledge about the importance of nutrition in early childhood education (PAUD) programs. RESULTS: It is also proven by the results of measuring cognitive values and affective values before and after the Early Childhood Nutrition Education Service for Communities during the pandemic era has proven to be increasing. CONCLUSION: The AUD nutrition education service model for the community in the pandemic era has a significant effectiveness on the knowledge of parents and the community about AUD nutrition and on the positive attitudes of parents and the community in the PAUD program.

Predictors of Real-World Parents' Acceptance to Vaccinate Their Children Against the COVID-19.

.Background:As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to threaten public health, the vaccination of children against the disease appears to be a key factor to control the pandemic. Our aim was to investigate the prevalence of parents who have vaccinated their children against the COVID-19 and the factors influencing this decision.Materials and Methods:We conducted a web-based cross-sectional study in Greece during the first week of September 2021. The study questionnaire was distributed through social media and a convenience sample was obtained. Only parents with children aged 12–17 years old could participate in the study. We collected socio-demographic data of parents and we measured their attitudes towards vaccination and COVID-19 pandemic.Results:Study population included 656 parents. Regarding vaccination, 27.1% of parents had their children vaccinated against the COVID-19, while almost all children had a complete vaccination history (98.9%). The most important reasons for decline of COVID-19 vaccination were doubts about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines (45.3%) and fear of side effects (36.6%). Regarding the information about the COVID-19 vaccines, parents showed more trust in family doctors than in scientists and the government. We found that increased parents’ age, increased trust in COVID-19 vaccines, and positive attitude of parents towards vaccination had a positive effect on children’s vaccination.Conclusions:Understanding the factors influencing parents’ decision to vaccinate their children against the COVID-19 is crucial to increase the COVID-19 vaccination coverage rate. Implementation of public health policies is necessary to spread knowledge about COVID-19 vaccines and to regain vaccine confidence.

ОТНОШЕНИЕ РОДИТЕЛЕЙ И ПЕДАГОГОВ К ПРОБЛЕМЕ ПСИХОЛОГИЧЕСКОЙ БЕЗОПАСНОСТИ УЧАЩИХСЯ НАЧАЛЬНОЙ И ОСНОВНОЙ ШКОЛЫ

The article presents the data of a pilot empirical study, the purpose of which was to identify ideas about the psychological safety of the individual and the emotional and personal attitude of teachers and parents to the problem of psychological safety of primary and secondary school students. With the introduction of new federal educational standards, the focus of special attention is directed to the problem of the psychological safety of students’ personality at various levels of education. In modern scientific research, the predominant focus of psychological and pedagogical work on children and adolescents is traced, which is not consistent with the general educational doctrine of the Russian Federation, which defines parents and teachers as full-fledged subjects of education. In this regard, there is a need to involve parents and teachers in the work to ensure the psychological safety of the personality of students. A pilot study of ideas and attitudes towards the problem of psychological security of the individual will allow planning further work with all subjects of education. In the presented pilot study, 32 teachers and more than three hundred parents of students of primary and secondary schools of educational organizations of the North-West region took part. The work used survey research methods. The data obtained allow us to speak about the presence of teachers and parents’ ideas about the problem of the psychological safety of students’ personality, which shows the high significance and relevance of the identified problem. At the same time, it is possible to state a different degree of expression of ideas about psychological safety among teachers and parents, however, there are identical results in the interest of the subjects of education in increasing competence on this problem. Also, a fairly high level of positive emotional attitude and interest of both teachers and parents in solving the problems of psychological safety of the personality of primary and secondary school students was determined. The results of the pilot empirical study made it possible to draw conclusions and outline ways for further full-scale empirical research and psychological and pedagogical support for subjects of education while ensuring the psychological safety of the students’ personality.

Plivanje u nastavi fizičkog vaspitanja dece

The aim of this paper is to examine the attitude towards the implementation of swimming in the teaching of physical and health education of children. The introduction of swimming as a mandatory program content of physical education is one of the possible innovations of this type which was the subject of the research and analysis of this paper. On the basis of theoretical analysis, "The Questionnaire on Swimming in Physical Education," containing 17 statements which are answered via five-point Likert-type assessment scales was constructed. A total sample of 104 subjects, coaches, teachers of physical education and sport, active senior swimmers, and parents with children between the ages of six and ten were interviewed. The data on the socio-demographic characteristics, swimming, and sports habits were collected. The results of the descriptive statistical analysis and the reliability analysis by Crombach's Alpha method (a = 0.75) indicate good metric characteristics of the questionnaire. The results of the descriptive statistical analysis show an extremely positive attitude of parents when it comes to swimming in physical education (M = 4.52, SD = 0.29). The descriptive statistical analysis supports the assumption that health and recreational goals of swimming (M = 4.81) are significantly ahead of sports and competition (M = 2.33). When it comes to assessing the emotions associated with swimming, it can also be concluded that recreation (M = 4.85) and entertainment (M = 4.66) are more important than competition (M = 3.72), i.e., that they provoke more positive emotions among children. The results of the variance analysis show that there are no statistically significant differences in attitudes towards swimming in physical education in the subsamples formed according to socio-demographic variables. The obtained results are primarily a confirmation of the positive educational and developmental effects of swimming. Furthermore, many problems exist with the realization of the idea of introducing swimming in regular classes. For such actions, the most important aspects include organization and cooperation of schools, sports centers and the local community, while the financial resources that need to be invested are not so great if the development benefits for children are taken into account. The observed extremely positive attitude of the subjects speaks to their readiness to help and support the implementation of such programs.

Stavovi roditelja prema čitalačkoj kulturi učenika mlađih razreda osnovne škole

The aim of this research is to determine the attitudes of parents towards the reading culture of students in the lower grades of primary school. 180 parents from the Republic of Serbia participated in the research. A descriptive method and a theoretical analysis method were applied, while the instrument was created separately for this research. The obtained results show the positive attitudes of parents towards the reading culture of the children in the lower grades of primary school, although most parents believe that there are certain obstacles in the development of reading culture, such as: a low socio-economic status of parents (18.3%), a lack of interest and laziness of both parents and children (17.8%), parents overworked (14.4%), reading is not in trend (8.9%), and digitalization process (7.8%). Also, significant statistical differences were observed between the socio-demographic characteristics of parents and their attitudes towards reading culture. The results show that mothers, more often than fathers, believe that children should read every day. Parents with a higher level of education generally care more about their children's reading culture. Older parents generally believe that children should be influenced by a personal example, while younger parents more often believe that parents should be involved in school activities. The implications of the obtained findings suggest that reading culture must become an imperative today, both in the family environment and in the joint cooperation of parents with the school through the involvement of parents in curricular and extracurricular activities and contents.

Mediating Effects of Online-Based Leisure Between Parenting Attitudes and Children’s Smartphone Dependency

Objectives: This study investigated the impact of positive and negative parenting attitudes on smartphone dependency in children to examine the mediating effects of online-based leisure such as computer usage, game, and smartphone usage.Methods: Data of 714 children scoring above the top 30% of smartphone dependency among the children in 5th grade in elementary school were collected through the 2nd wave of the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey (KCYPS 2018). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was applied to analyze the mediating effects with the Bootstrapping method by SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 20.0.Results: In the model, online-based leisure significantly mediated the relationship between positive parenting attitudes such as warmth, autonomy support and structure provision, and smartphone dependency showing complete mediation. Also, negative parenting attitudes such as rejection, coercion, and chaos directly negatively affected smartphone dependency, not showing a mediating effect. Results indicate that increased positive parenting attitudes lead to reduced smartphone dependency through decreasing online-based leisure, while negative parenting attitudes lead to increase dependence on the smartphone.Conclusion: While positive parenting attitudes do not directly affect smartphone dependency, they lead to a decrease in online-based leisure. Consequently, as online-based leisure lessens, smartphone dependency subsequently may also be diminished. In addition, although negative parenting attitudes have no mediating effect, they directly influence the growing smartphone dependency. Results confirm that positive parenting mediate the effects of online-based activities in relation to smartphone dependency when parents provide the most structure, autonomy support, and warmth to their children. Practical implications are discussed, and relevant interventions offered for children and parents.

BUILDING A POSITIVE ATTITUDE OF PARENTS TO INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

The article examines the special place and role of parents of students in the implementation of inclusive educational programs in general education schools, the problem of their attitude to inclusive education of children with disabilities as a pedagogical innovation. Despite the fact that at present the necessary conditions for the development of inclusive education have been created in the domestic system of general education, it is noted in mass pedagogical practice that it is still poorly developed. Empirical evidence proves that one of the reasons is the attitude of parents to inclusive education. It is noted that the negative or indifferent attitude of a certain part of parents to inclusive education hinders the productivity of the aspirations of the school staff and teachers to implement inclusive educational programs. The analysis of the works of foreign, Russian and domestic scientists on the issues of inclusive education and cooperation of the family with the school is carried out. The author identifies and analyzes the approach and attitude of parents to inclusive education. The analysis of the research results revealed the factors contributing to the weakening of the educational role of the modern family. The pedagogical conditions for the formation of a positive attitude of parents to inclusive education and the achievement of real support for inclusive education are determined. The benefits of inclusive education are revealed not only for children with disabilities, but also for other students. The psychological and pedagogical conditions for the formation of a positive attitude of parents to inclusive education are comprehensively defined and described.

Structural relationships among adolescents' peer attachment, career-related self-efficacy, parents' attitudes and health risk behaviours.

AimThis study aimed to determine whether the peer attachment of adolescents, mediated by career‐related self‐efficacy and having parents with positive attitudes, influences health risk behaviours.DesignA cross‐sectional questionnaire survey.MethodsThis study adopted the secondary data analysis method, using the 2010 Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey (KCYPS). The 7th‐wave panel data of 1,932 first graders in high schools were analysed using structural equation modelling.ResultsThe final model provided a good fit for the data. Having a close relationship with peers had a direct effect on adolescents’ health risk behaviours. High peer attachment also had an indirect effect on health risk behaviours, mediated by career‐related self‐efficacy and having parents with positive attitudes. Though adolescents with broad and intimate peer relationships may be exposed to more temptations towards health risk behaviours and tend to make riskier decisions, these influences are reduced by being exposed to positive parenting attitudes and having clear, conscious career goals.

Consequences of Lockdown During COVID-19 Pandemic in Lifestyle and Emotional State of Children in Argentina.

The implications of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdown measurements and social isolation in children and their parents are still unknown. The aims of this study were to examine the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on emotional state, feelings and lifestyle of children and their parents, to explore the association between parental characteristics and child well-being and to examine whether the impact of lockdown depends on socio-economic status. Parents completed an online survey including data about socio-demographic information, parent and child feelings and lifestyle during lockdown. Logistic regression and correlation analysis were used to establish associations between variables. In total, 814 parents with children between 4 and 11 were included in the study. According to parents, 69.5% of the children showed changes in their emotional state, 55.3% altered their routine and 62.6% showed sleep disorders. Families with lower socio-economic status were more worried about health, shortage of food and household income (p < 0.01). Parent and children concern about food/essential items were highly associated [OR (CI 95%) 13.0 (6.81, 26.5), p < 0.01]. Adverse children's emotional state was associated with parental feeling of loneliness (r = 0.35) and inversely associated with keeping a routine (r = −0.11). Sleep changes were inversely associated with keeping a routine and having a balcony/garden (r = −0.53 and −0.16). We conclude that lockdown affected emotional state and lifestyle of children and parents, which were strongly related. Routine and positive parental attitude supported children's well-being. Economic issues were an important concern in families with lower socio-economic status. Our findings can help to promote child health during lockdown.

Parental Beliefs and Actual Use of Corporal Punishment, School Violence and Bullying, and Depression in Early Adolescence.

Prior studies on adverse outcomes of parental corporal punishment on children have focused on examining one of two broad domains of parental corporal punishment: parental beliefs or actual use. Recently, researchers have argued that parental belief and actual use of corporal punishment should work jointly to contribute to children’s depression and involvement in school violence. Yet, studies supporting this proposition are lacking. This study examined the indirect link from parental attitudes towards corporal punishment to children’s depression and school violence involvement through actual use of corporal punishment. Four hundred and thirty-three elementary school students and their parents in Taiwan participated in this study. The results indicate that positive parental attitudes towards corporal punishment do not predict children’s depression and involvement in school violence. However, parental attitudes towards corporal punishment had significant indirect relationships with depression and involvement in school violence through the actual use of corporal punishment. These findings applied to both genders. This study supports the proposition that parental attitudes and the actual use of corporal punishment could work together to predict children’s depression and school violence. Future intervention programs for decreasing children’s depressive symptoms and involvement in school violence might need to tackle corporal punishment in the family.

The effect of parents attitudes to play in green space on childrens cognitive flexibility during Covid-19 home quarantine

Introduction: In recent years, children have faced limitations in their playing surrounding, that can affect their cognitive operation. Aim: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of all types of attitudes into the outdoor playings on childrens cognitive flexibility during Covid-19 home quarantine. Method: This paper was a cross-sectional observational study. A total of three hundred female students by the mean age of the 9 to 11 were participated in this study voluntarily by sampling method. Participants were selected from a school in Tehrans 19th district in 2020-2021 academic year. An online survey using a structural questionnaire createing by Google forms were used for data collecting. The online questionnaire consisted of three sections: demographic information, Childrens Cognitive Flexibility, and Parents Attitudes into the outdoor and playings and playing in nature. Variance analysing were used to analyze the data and Tukey's post hoc test were used to Locate the differences. SPSS25 were used for data analysing. Results: The analysis of variance resulted in a significant difference between the mean cognitive flexibility of those children whose parents had a positive attitude towards playing in nature compared to a negative attitude towards playing in nature (p=0.001). The results showed a better cognitive flexibility in those children whose parents had a positive attitude towards playing in nature. Conclusion: Positive or negative attitude of parents towards outdoor playings has an effect on childrens cognitive flexibility during home quarantine.

The attitude of parents to the observance of the components of a healthy lifestyle for their child

The article presents the attitude of parents to the observance of the components of a healthy lifestyle for their child. An important condition for a positive attitude of parents to physical education is an understanding of the impact of physical exercise on the health of children. According to the overwhelming majority of parents (77,27 %), physical education has a positive effect on the health of children, 9,09 % of respondents believe that physical exercise has a positive effect on the child's body, 13,64 % of respondents could not answer this question.&#x0D; The answers to the following questions are analyzed: 1. Do physical culture lessons influence the health of your child?; 2. Can you say that you are leading a healthy lifestyle?; 3. What measures should parents take to prevent a teenager's addiction to bad habits?; 4. Does your child adhere to the components of a healthy lifestyle?; 5. What place do you give to physical culture and sports in your leisure time?&#x0D; The attitude of parents to physical education and sports is generally positive. The answers to specific questions depend on the gender, age and education of the parents. The respondents' attitude to the presence of bad habits in their child is unambiguously negative. According to parents, an effective measure to prevent a teenager's addiction to harmful substances is playing sports. According to gender characteristics, respondents are more likely to lead a healthy lifestyle than not. This fact is a good basis for schoolchildren to imitate a positive habit.

Predictors of Parental Barriers to Reduce Excessive Child Screen Time Among Parents of Under-Five Children in Selangor, Malaysia: Cross-sectional Study.

BackgroundGlobally, there is an increasing prevalence of excessive screen time exposure among young children, including in Malaysia. Parents are advised to limit this exposure, but there are barriers for many of them to follow this recommendation. To date, there is a lack of research on the factors that cause these parental barriers.ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine the parental barrier toward the reduction of excessive child screen time and its predictors among parents of children aged younger than 5 years in the Petaling District, Selangor, Malaysia.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2019 to June 2020 among 789 parent-child dyads attending child health clinics in the Petaling District. Validated self-administered questionnaires were used to capture information on sociodemographic, parental, child-related, and environmental factors and parental barriers. Stratified sampling with probability proportionate to size was employed. Data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics version 25 (IBM Corp). Descriptive analysis and bivariable analysis were performed before multiple linear regression was used to identify predictors of parental barriers.ResultsThe overall mean score of parental barriers was 3.51 (SD 0.83), indicating that the average numbers of barriers experienced by parents were more than 3. The multivariable analysis showed that the predictors of parental barriers included monthly household income (adjusted β=–.03, 95% CI –0.05 to –0.02), parents who worked in public sectors (adjusted β=.18, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.29), positive parental attitude on screens (adjusted β=.68, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.79), low parent self-efficacy to influence child’s physical activity (adjusted β=–.32, 95% CI –0.43 to –0.20), and child screen time (adjusted β=.04, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.06).ConclusionsThe strongest predictor of parental barriers to reduce excessive child screen time was the positive parental attitude on screen time which could contribute to their abilities to limit child screen time. Thus, future intervention strategies should aim to foster correct parental attitudes toward screen time activities among young children.

The Investigation of Free Time Management According to Faculty Of Health Sciences Students’ Departments and Some Sociodemographic Variables

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the free time management according to the departments and some sociodemographic variables of health sciences students. Study Design: The population of the study consisted of 2120 students studying in a faculty of health sciences. 405 students were selected as the sample with stratified sampling method, In this study, data form that questions the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants (age, gender, etc.) and Free Time Management Scale were used. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics (percent, means etc.), independent samples t test, one way ANOVA test, Mann Whitney U test, Kruskal Wallis H test and Spearman’s correlation test in SPSS24.0 program. Results: The obtained data show that the scores of the participants are high in the Free Time Management Scale and its sub-dimensions. It was found that the scores of Nursing department students in the scale programming sub-dimension were higher than the students of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation and Child Development departments students. It was found that parental attitudes and participation in free time activities may also be effective in the development of free time management skills. Conclusion: It is foreseen that motivation of university students about free time management and interviews with experts will have a positive effect on skill acquisition. Furthermore, it is thought that information meetings and the provision of counseling services may contribute to the development of healthy family communication, positive parenting attitude. In addition, it is recommended to increase the number of activities in universities in line with the interests of students.

Bringing Out the Best in Parenting: Translating Community-Engaged Research on Adversity and Parenting to Policy

Bringing Out the Best in Parenting: Translating Community-Engaged Research on Adversity and Parenting to Policy Bridget Cho, PhD, Lauren Kleven, MPH, and Briana Woods-Jaeger, PhD What Is the Purpose of the Study? • This qualitative study engaged parents of young children enrolled at a Head Start center to explore how the social environment influences parenting. • This study also translated research findings into community advocacy to support positive parenting. What Is the Problem? • Positive parenting is harder for families dealing with stress and trauma that come with poverty. • Increasing positive parenting is an important way to help children grow up healthy and thrive in the face of adversity. • Interventions to improve parenting do not always address how stress and trauma affect parenting. • To make our parenting interventions more effective, we need to understand how the social environment affects parenting, especially among families living in poverty. What Are the Findings? • The parents who participated in this study reported positive parenting attitudes, values, and goals. • Parents encountered barriers to effective parenting in their social environments, from dangerous neighborhoods to conflict with their children’s educators, that stemmed from systemic inequity. • Challenges existed not only in the present, but also in the past, with parents explaining how intergenerational trauma and racism shaped their parenting decisions. Who Should Care Most? • Families with young children who are living with adversity such as poverty and violence. • Professionals who work with families exposed to adversity, especially those who receive services at Head Start centers, including: ○ Teachers ○ Healthcare providers ○ Social workers [End Page 265] Recommendations for Action • When delivering parenting interventions, consider natural protective factors such as parents’ goals and aspirations for their children. • Directly address how discrimination, oppression, and historical trauma affect client’s parenting behaviors. • Enact policy changes to support low-income families, such as increasing affordable housing in safe neighborhoods. • Train service providers working with children and families in cultural humility and trauma-informed practices. [End Page 266] Bridget Cho University of South Carolina Aiken Lauren Kleven IMPACT, Inc. Briana Woods-Jaeger Emory University Rollins School of Public Health Copyright © 2021 Johns Hopkins University Press

Presidential Address, 2020-Using Technology to Deliver Services and Supports in Homes, Neighborhoods, and Communities: Evidence and Promise.

Presidential Address, 2020-Using Technology to Deliver Services and Supports in Homes, Neighborhoods, and Communities: Evidence and Promise.

Child Pain Intensity and Parental Attitudes toward Complementary and Alternative Medicine Predict Post-Tonsillectomy Analgesic Use.

Parental attitudes regarding pain interventions and perceptions of their child’s pain intensity likely influence the decision to administer postoperative analgesics. Our study examined the impact of daily fluctuations in child pain intensity and parental attitudes regarding complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) on analgesic administration following pediatric tonsillectomy. Parents of children undergoing tonsillectomy (n = 33) completed a survey assessing CAM attitudes and a 7-day postoperative electronic daily diary to record their child’s daily pain intensity and analgesic medications (acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or oxycodone). Generalized linear mixed models with Poisson distributions evaluated the effects of within-person (child’s daily pain intensity) and between-person (average postoperative pain, parental CAM attitudes) components on the number of medication doses administered. Higher daily pain intensity was associated with more oxycodone doses administered on a given day, but not acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Positive parental CAM attitudes were associated with less oxycodone use, beyond the variations accounted for by the child’s daily pain intensity and average postoperative pain. Both parental CAM attitudes and their child’s daily pain intensity were independently associated with parental decisions to administer opioids following tonsillectomy. Understanding factors influencing individual variability in analgesic use could help optimize children’s postoperative pain management.