Parents and Pamphlets: Unraveling the Mysteries of Parent Responses to Pediatric Handouts
Abstract
Written handouts are usually provided to parents at routine pediatric visits, but
little is known about how parents use this written medical information. To explore
this topic, handouts provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Bright
Futures Initiative were analyzed and 20 parent participants were interviewed to learn
about their personal experiences with pediatric well-child care (WCC) and their use
of handouts distributed during WCC visits. Results of this study determined that the
four responses to health promotion materials are revelation, reminder, reassurance, and
rejection. First-time parents are most likely to use handouts. Handout use may increase
when they are provided at the beginning of visits, when they are personalized to each
family, or when providers discuss them directly with parents. Further, results suggested
that handouts are largely used by parents to reinforce existing beliefs rather than
challenge or change them.
Subject
Health promotion materials
Pediatrics
Parenting
Child care
Permanent Link
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1793/72232Citation
Volume IX, December 2014, pp. 54 - 67