Parents' Experiences of Child Health Centers

Abstract

Improved techniques for counselling parents can be achieved through a knowledge of the parents' experience of existing child health care. The author has studied the parents' experience of child health centers with regard to contact with the staff, information received, and general organization. A questionnaire was sent to one-third, 478, of all parents in the urban district of Uppsala with children 1/2–1 1/2 years old. The children were registered at 14 separate child health centers. The results showed that the essential prerequisites for good contact with the staff were, a limited number of children registered, and the presence of a permanent physician at the health center. The level of information concerning measures undertaken in child health care was mainly related to social grouping. One or more behavior problems were noted to have existed in 21% of the cases. About 60% of all parents concerned had sought advice at the child health center with varying degrees of success for different kinds of problems. An important objective in the child health care system would be to study the clients' attitudes. This would be the method to identify information problems and conditions influencing the contact between parents and staff. A constructive parental attitude to the staff is in fact necessary for successful guidance and psycho-social care, tasks of great significance for child health care in our type of community.