Parents’ Perspectives on the Health Education Provided by Clinicians in Portuguese Pediatric Hospitals and Primary Care for Children Aged 1 to 10 Years

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze parents’ perspectives of the health education practice provided by health professionals to children and parents. This is a descriptive research with a qualitative approach, based on the conceptual framework of health education provided by health professionals to children/young people and families. The selection took place by non-probabilistic sampling of convenience, and was developed with parents/users of health units for pediatric hospitalization and primary health care in northern Portugal. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with 20 parents from March to April 2019, and were analyzed using the content analysis technique. Health education was understood to enhance health, and the evaluation was carried out according to planning and partnership. The most frequent topics were food, the national vaccination plan, and accident prevention. The evaluation shown is very positive, pointing to the nurse as the professional of choice for this practice and thus contributing to the visibility of nursing. We can state that the perspectives of parents about the health education carried out by health professionals show a practice that values health; is adaptable to the complexity of the binomial child and parents; is capable of influencing health determinants with sustainability, efficacy, and effectiveness; and gives visibility to nurses’ positions as health educators.