Attitudes toward death education for young children

A state-wide study was conducted to determine early childhood educators' perspectives of death education for young children. The results of this study generally indicate that teachers are (a) convinced of the need for self-development, (b) willing to cooperate with parents of children who have experienced significant loss, (c) attempting to respond to children's concerns related to death, and (d) exploring the possibility of initiating a more systematic approach to death education as a component of the early childhood curriculum. There was no significant correlation between the respondents' attitudes and the variables of age, sex, race, teaching experience, income, religion, and education. Several experiences and concerns of early childhood educators are analyzed.     

Death education: knowledge, attitudes, and perspectives of Irish parents and teachers

This article reports on a cross-sectional survey of the knowledge, attitudes and perspectives of Irish parents and school teachers concerning children's grief and the concept of death education. The sample comprised 119 parents and 142 teachers of Irish Primary-school children (5-12 years of age) who completed a self administered questionnaire. Both parents and teachers reported high levels of understanding of the nature of children's grief and strongly supported the view that death should be discussed with children before they encounter it. Although discussions of death were reported in the classroom and in the home, both teachers and parents, particularly men, reported being uncomfortable talking to children about death. There was general support for the inclusion of death education in the school curriculum, with both teachers and parents supporting the need for further teacher training to undertake its delivery. There were few significant differences between the expressed attitudes of parents and teachers. However, teachers were more likely than parents to agree that death education would take away from parental responsibility. The implications of the findings for further work in this area are considered.     

Attitudes toward death education for young children

Abstract

A state-wide study was conducted to determine early childhood educators' perspectives of death education for young children. The results of this study generally indicate that teachers are (a) convinced of the need for self-development, (b) willing to cooperate with parents of children who have experienced significant loss, (c) attempting to respond to children's concerns related to death, and (d) exploring the possibility of initiating a more systematic approach to death education as a component of the early childhood curriculum. There was no significant correlation between the respondents' attitudes and the variables of age, sex, race, teaching experience, income, religion, and education. Several experiences and concerns of early childhood educators are analyzed.     

DEATH EDUCATION: KNOWLEDGE,ATTITUDES, AND PERSPECTIVES OF IRISH PARENTS AND TEACHERS

This article reports on a cross-sectional survey of the knowledge, attitudes and perspectives of Irish parents and school teachers concerning children's grief and the concept of death education. The sample comprised 119 parents and 142 teachers of Irish Primary-school children (5-12 years of age) who completed a self administered questionnaire. Both parents and teachers reported high levels of understanding of the nature of children's grief and strongly supported the view that death should be discussed with children before they encounter it. Although discussions of death were reported in the classroom and in the home, both teachers and parents, particularly men, reported being uncomfortable talking to children about death. There was general support for the inclusion of death education in the school curriculum, with both teachers and parents supporting the need for further teacher training to undertake its delivery. There were few significant differences between the expressed attitudes of parents and teachers. However, teachers were more likely than parents to agree that death education would take away from parental responsibility. The implications of the findings for further work in this area are considered.     

Parental perceptions of the preschool obese child

Childhood obesity is a serious public health problem today with many potential complications and adverse outcomes for children. How parents view their children's weight is an important consideration for nurses. The purpose of this study was to increase staff understanding of parents' views so that interventions could be developed to achieve improved outcomes in attenuating the rate of weight gain in obese children. A questionnaire was administered to 200 parents, mostly Hispanic, of obese children to determine the parents' perceptions of their child's obesity. The study revealed that 35% of parents did not believe their obese child was overweight and 53% had no problem controlling what their child eats. However, 78% of parents expressed concern about heart disease as a consequence of childhood obesity. The study demonstrated that parents acknowledge some health risks of obesity but that interventions in treating childhood obesity need to begin with the understanding of parents' perceptions of their own child's obesity.     

School-based asthma: a study in an African American elementary school.

ISSUES AND PURPOSE: Chronic illnesses, such as asthma experienced by children, are difficult for families and school professionals to manage. This study explored beliefs about asthma and asthma management among schoolchildren, parents, and teachers in an African American school. DESIGN AND METHODS: Focus groups were conducted with schoolchildren, parents, and teachers. Data were analyzed by content analysis; segments of information were categorized into groups that were later abstracted into themes illustrating beliefs and behaviors about asthma. RESULTS: The children reported fear of not being able to breathe and the limitations of living with asthma. The teachers were concerned that they did not have a sufficient understanding of asthma to manage children's asthma during the school day. Parents described complex lifestyles and the challenges of asthma management.     

Perceptions of teachers and parents on the cognitive functioning of children with severe mental disability and children with congenital deafblindness

This article reports Phase I results of a questionnaire study on the perceptions of US teachers and parents on the cognitive functioning of children with severe mental disability and children with congenital deafblindness, ages 4-12 years. Teachers were more likely than parents to report emerging skills and to provide examples of how the skill was being taught. Teachers and parents of children with severe mental disability had different perceptions about how children demonstrated understanding of cause-effect, object permanence, memory, incidental cues, reasoning and creativity. Teachers and parents of children with congenital deafblindness differed in their perceptions of how children demonstrate understanding of incidental cues and exhibit reasoning. Both teachers and parents expressed concern about whether choice making was meaningful. Novelty was reported to be a motivating factor for children with severe mental disability, while familiarity was cited as motivating for children with congenital deafblindness. Teachers and parents of all children cited consistency, routine and repetition as important to learning.     

School-age children with asthma and their parents: relationships with health care providers

Health care providers, including nurses, physicians, and other personnel, are key figures who design and implement plans of care to help families manage childhood asthma, yet families' perceptions of relationships with these professionals has received limited study. Child and parent perspectives about relationships with their health care providers emerged as themes in a study that explored responsibility sharing between school-age children with asthma and their parents (Buford, 2004). Fourteen school-age children with asthma and 14 of their parents from 11 families participated in the study. Parents and, to a lesser extent, children, described aspects of their relationships with their health care providers that were supports or barriers to asthma management. Implications for nurses and other health care providers stem from these data and include the importance for health care providers to educate themselves and their patients about state-of-the-art asthma care. Education should be directed to both parents and their children. In addition, parents need to receive education about how to coach their children because the children depend on them for information and direction. Finally, nurses and other health care providers need to listen to parents and value their input about their children's conditions.     

Child immunisation levels in Sydney's Western Metropolitan Region: parental attitudes and nurses' roles.

Research was undertaken to examine childhood immunisation uptake rates, parental attitudes towards immunisation and immunisation services and parents' perceptions of health workers' (especially nurses') contribution to immunisation in the Western Metropolitan Region of Sydney, NSW. After a pilot study a questionnaire was distributed by teachers to a random sample of 450 parents of kindergarten children living in the Region. Data revealed an 84% childhood immunisation rate for all scheduled immunisations up to five years with a partial immunisation rate of 10% (6% did not answer or had gaps in immunisation information). The most significant factors associated with partial immunisation were found to be the socioeconomic and educational status of the children's fathers and itinerancy. Parents of partially immunised children were significantly more likely than parents of totally immunised children to consider that serious side-effects to immunisation do occur. The research also found that parents have a knowledge deficit about the seriousness of measles; that immunisation services in the Region have significant deficiencies and that nurses have a low profile and poor image in the provision of those services. As Early Childhood nurses were considered by parents as providing the most appropriate immunisation nursing service, their further involvement in promoting and extending services is recommended.     

Health professionals' beliefs related to parental involvement in ambulatory care: an international inquiry

Changes in health care delivery in Canada and Europe, especially the shift to ambulatory care, have modified the care that children and parents receive and have prompted the need for a partnership alliance. The objectives of this exploratory study were to identify Canadian and Belgian health professionals' beliefs and attitudes towards parental involvement in their child's ambulatory care and to determine if these beliefs varied according to cultural background. Health professionals from both countries generally were in favor of parental involvement in their child's care, but are uncertain about its advantages and disadvantages. Facilitators and barriers mentioned by the health care providers were related to parents' abilities or their attitudes toward partnership, and they also expressed a need for more education on the subject. Results of this study indicate that health professionals working in ambulatory care are not fully ready to utilize parents as true partners in their interventions with children and families. Staff education is an important step towards the establishment and maintenance of a real partnership.     

Parents' beliefs about children and gun safety

This study sought to determine parents' beliefs about children and gun safety. A survey was sent to 230 parents of elementary age children addressing their beliefs about firearm storage, firearm safety training for children, and whether or not their child would handle a gun. Findings are based on the 82 returned surveys. Parents believed safe firearm storage was important to protect children. Only 22% of parents reported having a firearm in their home. However, of those reporting a firearm in the home, 85% did not practice safe gun storage despite reporting they believed it was important. These findings are supported by other studies that have found that parents have unrealistic perceptions about how their child will respond when a firearm is encountered. The only predictor of parents' incorrect perceptions about firearm safety training was the item "children will be safe if taught." This parental misperception provides further evidence that parents have unrealistic attitudes about children and guns.     

Healthy eating for rural low-income toddlers: caregivers' perceptions.

Caregivers exert a powerful influence on young children's eating habits. This qualitative study used focus groups to assess nutritional needs and barriers in establishing healthy eating habits in toddlers. Three focus groups were conducted with rural, low-income caregivers, 2 with men and 1 with women, in 3 rural Michigan counties. Four major themes emerged: (a) barriers to providing healthy meals, (b) division of responsibility, (c) mealtime behavior, and (d) desired nutrition education. The major barriers identified were work schedules; cost of food; inadequate time to shop, plan, and prepare nutritious meals; or a combination thereof. Caregivers expressed concern for the nutritional well-being of their toddlers. The perceived needs and perceptions of low-income caregivers need to be considered when providing nutrition education. Findings from this study provided the basis for developing a nutrition education intervention for low-income parents of young children.     

Sociocultural influences on disability status in Puerto Rican children.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This article describes culturally defined meanings of childhood function and disability in Puerto Rico to provide a context for the interpretation of test scores from the Spanish translation of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: More than 600 Puerto Rican teachers, parents and caregivers of children with and without disabilities, and members of the general community participated in ethnographic interviews, which were designed to describe their beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge about childhood function and disability. RESULTS: Qualitative and quantitative data analysis confirmed that differences exist between Puerto Ricans and the norms established in the United States for the performance of functional skills by children, and the analysis also described Puerto Rican beliefs and attitudes toward disability. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Puerto Rican values of interdependence, a?o?ar (pampering or nurturing behaviors), and sobre protectiva (overprotectiveness) influence parental expectations for the capability of children with disabilities and should be considered when interpreting scores from the PEDI and establishing plans of care. Additional research is needed on the influence of contextual variables on child development and behavioral adaptations to disability.     

Hospital staff perceptions of parental involvement in paediatric hospital care

AIM: This paper reports a study of hospital staff perceptions of parental involvement in children's hospital care. BACKGROUND: Previous research has shown that parents are expected and encouraged by hospital staff to be actively involved in the care of their hospitalized children. At the same time, parents have expressed a need for improved communication with paediatric hospital staff to clarify both parental and staff expectations and preferences about this involvement. Few studies, however, have studied hospital staff perceptions of parental involvement in the care of hospitalized children and their implications for clinical work. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted among paediatric hospital staff in October of 2003. Questionnaires were distributed to a total of 338 staff, including all physicians, Registered Nurses and nursing auxiliaries working on oncology, surgery and neurology units in three university children's hospitals in Sweden. RESULTS: A total of 207 questionnaires were returned, yielding a response rate of 61%. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the 26-item questionnaire resulted in the creation of two indices, Work Routines and Work Strain. Oncology staff reported having better work routines for involving parents in their children's care and they experienced less strain from parental demands compared with staff on other paediatric units. Staff perceptions and workplace routines regarding parental involvement did not differ statistically significantly by profession or by length of work experience. CONCLUSION: Staff perceptions of parental involvement may be related to clinical specialty. Oncology units may find it easier to establish routines for parental involvement, thereby experiencing less work strain in their interactions with parents. There is a need to further study staff perceptions of parental involvement and their implications for the staff work situation in both Sweden and other countries.     

家长对学龄前儿童发热知识认知及需求的调查研究

目的调查家长对学龄前儿童发热知识的认知和需求情况,为进一步做好发热知识的健康教育工作提供科学的理论依据．方法采用自行设计的学龄前儿童发热知识问卷,以无记名方式对528名学龄前儿童家长进行调查。结果家长对学龄前儿童发热的常规知识掌握较好,但是对儿童高热惊厥等急救知识及物理降温知识知晓率较低;高学历和文教卫生工作者的家长对学龄前儿童发热知识知晓率高;家长对学龄前儿童发热知识的需求较高;大多数家长选择阅读宣传小册子和上网学习获取发热相关知识。结论积极开展学龄前儿童发热知识的健康教育非常重要,医务工作者有必要加强对低学历的和非文教卫生工作者家长的宣教,并开发适合家长的学龄前儿童发热的健康资料。     

广州市儿童发生意外伤害与其父母知识、态度和行为的相关性研究

目的了解广州市1～7岁儿童意外伤害发生的情况及其父母对意外伤害的知识、态度和行为,并确定相关的危险因素.方法采取描述性相关性研究的方法, 对202名1～7岁儿童及其父母进行问卷调查,运用SPSS软件包进行数据的统计分析.结果意外伤害的发生率为34.7%;伤害的发生与儿童的年龄,父母的职业、文化程度及接受安全教育的情况有关;父母的知识与其行为有关,接受安全教育的情况与其知识和行为有关.结论儿童年龄越小越容易发生意外伤害;经常接受安全教育可减少伤害的发生;掌握安全知识可减少不良行为,经常接受安全教育可改善父母的知识和行为.社区护士应加强对父母的健康教育以减少儿童意外伤害的发生.