Health related quality of life in parents of six to eight year old children with Down syndrome

Raising a child with Down syndrome (DS) has been found to be associated with lowered health related quality of life (HRQoL) in the domains cognitive functioning, social functioning, daily activities and vitality. We aimed to explore which socio-demographics, child functioning and psychosocial variables were related to these HRQoL domains in parents of children with DS. Parents of 98 children with DS completed the TNO-AZL adult quality of life questionnaire (TAAQOL) and a questionnaire assessing socio-demographic, child functioning and psychosocial predictors. Using multiple linear regression analyses for each category of predictors, we selected relevant predictors for the final models. The final multiple linear regression models revealed that cognitive functioning was best predicted by the sleep of the child (β = .29, p < .01) and by the parent having given up a hobby (β = ?.29, p < .01), social functioning by the quality of the partner relation (β = .34, p < .001), daily activities by the parent having to care for an ill friend or family member (β = ?.31, p < .01), and vitality by the parent having enough personal time (β = .32, p < .01). Overall, psychosocial variables rather than socio-demographics or child functioning showed most consistent and powerful relations to the HRQoL domains of cognitive functioning, social functioning, daily activities and vitality. These psychosocial variables mainly related to social support and time pressure. Systematic screening of parents to detect problems timely, and interventions targeting the supportive network and the demands in time are recommended.     

Parental acceptance of and preferences for administration of routine varicella vaccination in the UK: A study to inform policy

ObjectivesTo explore acceptability of and preferences for the introduction of varicella vaccination to the UK childhood immunisation schedule.DesignWe conducted an online cross-sectional survey exploring parental attitudes towards vaccines in general, and varicella vaccine specifically, and their preferences for how the vaccine should be administered.Participants596 parents (76.3% female, 23.3% male, 0.4% other; mean age 33.4 years) whose youngest child was aged 0–5 years.Main outcome measuresWillingness to accept the vaccine for their child and preferences for how the vaccine should be administered (in combination with the MMR vaccine [MMRV], on the same day as the MMR vaccine but as a separate injection [MMR + V], on a separate additional visit).Results74.0% of parents (95% CI 70.2% to 77.5%) were extremely/somewhat likely to accept a varicella vaccine for their child if one became available, 18.3% (95% CI 15.3% to 21.8%) were extremely/somewhat unlikely to accept it and 7.7% (95% CI 5.7% to 10.2%) were neither likely nor unlikely. Reasons provided by parents likely to accept the vaccine included protection from complications of chickenpox, trust in the vaccine/healthcare professionals, and wanting their child to avoid their personal experience of chickenpox. Reasons provided by parents who were unlikely included chickenpox not being a serious illness, concern about side effects, and believing it is preferable to catch chickenpox as a child rather than as an adult. A combined MMRV vaccination or additional visit to the surgery were preferred over an additional injection at the same visit.ConclusionsMost parents would accept a varicella vaccination. These findings highlight parents’ preferences for varicella vaccine administration, information needed to inform vaccine policy and practice and development of a communication strategy.     

Effectiveness of the internet based parent education program on applied behavior analysis for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder

BackgroundParent education (PE) in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is recognized as an important component of support for families living with ASD. Specifically, the knowledge of how to interact with children based on applied behavior analysis (ABA) is useful for parents. In this study, a short-term, internet based on-demand PE program was conducted for parents of children with ASD to acquire knowledge of ABA and basic teaching techniques.MethodsParents of children with ASD were recruited as study participants. They attended on-demand lectures from their homes, performed homework tasks based on lecture content and emailed them to our team. The General Health Questionnaire 30 (GHQ) and Knowledge of Behavioral Principle as Applied to Children (KBPAC) were assessed before and after the program.ResultsOf the 25 participants, 21 attended all programs and completed all homework tasks and pre- and post-assessments. However, communication among participants via the bulletin board was low. KBPAC scores increased significantly from pre- to post-program scores, and GHQ subscales regarding anxiety and mood modulation decreased significantly from pre- to post-program scores. Positive results were obtained in the post-questionnaires as well.ConclusionThese findings suggest the practical applicability of an online PE program for parents of children with ASD based on ABA.     

The 10-item Remembered Relationship with Parents (RRP10) scale: two-factor model and association with adult depressive symptoms

BACKGROUND: Dysfunctional parenting styles are associated with poor mental and physical health. The 10-item Remembered Relationship with Parents (RRP(10)) scale retrospectively assesses Alienation (dysfunctional communication and intimacy) and Control (overprotection by parents), with an emphasis on deficiencies in empathic parenting. We examined the 2-factor structure of the RRP(10) and its relationship with adult depression. METHODS: 664 respondents from the general population (48% men, mean age 54.6+/-14.2 years) completed the RRP(10), Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), and Beck Depression Inventory. RESULTS: The Alienation and Control dimensions of the RRP(10) displayed a sound factor structure, good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.83-0.86), and convergent validity against the PBI scales. No significant gender differences were found on the RRP(10) scales. Stratifying by RRP(10) dimensions showed that respondents high in Alienation and Control, for both father (33.3% vs. 14.5%, p<0.0001) and mother (42% vs. 12.9%, p<0.0001) items, experienced the highest levels of depressive symptoms compared with respondents low in Alienation and Control. While scoring high on Alienation or Control alone was also significantly and independently associated with depressive symptoms, scoring high on both Alienation and Control was most strongly connected with depressive symptoms for both father (OR=2.48, p<0.004) and mother (OR=5.34, p<0.0001) items. LIMITATIONS: Cross-sectional study design. CONCLUSIONS: The RRP(10) is a reliable and valid measure of remembered parental Alienation and Control. High Alienation and Control were independently related to increased risk of depressive symptoms. Given the brevity of the RRP(10), it can easily be used in epidemiological/clinical research on the link between the remembered relationship with parents and mental/physical health.     

Mediating Variables in a Parent Based Intervention to Reduce Skin Cancer Risk in Children

The present study examined theoretical mediators of a parent-based intervention on sunbathing tendencies and sunburn frequencies based on the work of Turrisi et al. [Turrisi, R., Hillhouse, J., Heavin, S., Robinson, J., Adams, M., & Berry, J. (2004). Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 27, 393–412.]. Three hundred and forty parents in two regions of the United States were educated about the dangers of risky sun behavior and how to convey information about skin cancer prevention to their children. Attitudes toward sunbathing, health beliefs, appearance beliefs, and social normative beliefs were examined and found to be significant mediators of program effects on sunbathing tendencies and sunburn frequencies. The findings are discussed with respect to maximizing the effectiveness of future skin cancer interventions with children.     

An exploration of parents’ knowledge,attitudes and practices towards the use of antibiotics in childhood upper respiratory tract infections in a tertiary Jordanian Hospital

Objectives

The present study aimed to evaluate the parents' knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) towards the use of antibiotics for childhood upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs), at the Jordanian University Hospital.

Measuring vaccine acceptance among Canadian parents: A survey of the Canadian Immunization Research Network

Parental decision making about childhood vaccinations is complex and multidimensional. There is a perception that the number of parents having concerns regarding childhood vaccinations has been increasing in Canada. The aim of this study was to explore vaccine hesitancy among Canadian parents and to examine factors associated with a parent’s intention to vaccinate his/her child. Informed by the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) this study assesses potential associations between parents’ knowledge, attitudes and beliefs toward vaccination and their intention to vaccinate their child in the future. A national sample of Canadian parents of children aged 24–59 months (N = 2013) was surveyed using an online survey methodology. Half of the surveyed parents strongly intended to have their child vaccinated in the future. Parents’ information needs and searches as well as parents’ trust in different institutions were associated with intention to vaccinate. Parents who reported having frequently looked for vaccine information, who considered that it was their role as parents to question vaccines, or who had previously experienced difficulty accessing vaccination services were less likely to strongly intend to vaccinate their child in the future. Parents who had a high level of trust in doctors and public health were most likely to strongly intend to vaccinate their child. Results of the multivariate analysis showed that positive attitudes (aOR = 8.0; 95% CI: 6.0, 10.4), higher perceived social support (aOR = 3.0; 95% CI: 2.3, 3.93), and higher perceived behavioural control (aOR = 1.8; 95% CI: 1.4, 2.43) were associated with parents’ intention to vaccinate their child. Findings of this study suggest that trust-building interventions that promote pro-vaccine social norms and that address negative attitudes toward vaccination could enhance vaccine acceptance among Canadian parents.     

Parent support programmes and policies in the Caribbean

ABSTRACT

The authors, through a consultancy with the Caribbean Child Development Centre, the University of the West Indies Open Campus, sought to identify comprehensive parent support programmes and policies in the healthcare sector in non-Spanish-speaking Caribbean countries. As mapping researchers, the authors were contracted to map policies and programmes in the healthcare sector whose aims were to support both family wellbeing and children’s healthy development. A review of the existing literature about parenting practices and parenting support programming in the Caribbean was conducted. A catalogue of existing programmes and policies in non-Spanish speaking Caribbean countries was compiled using relevant documents and interviews from primary sources involved in the programmes and the development and implementation of policies. This article outlines the trends identified during the interviews and mapping exercise.