Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, 100 Auburn Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA.
Africa Mental Health Research and Training Foundation, PO Box 48423-00100, Mawensi Gardens, Upperhill, Nairobi, Kenya.
Health Promot Int. 2023 Jun 1;38(3). doi: 10.1093/heapro/daac027.
Parents are the first-line healthcare providers for their children and, thus, need to identify and treat symptoms, including knowing whether and how to seek treatment from healthcare professionals. In addition to the tangible resources necessary to address childhood illness, parents' health literacy skills impact their treatment decisions. The current study considered data gathered through focus groups (N = 9 groups) and key informant interviews (N = 13) to explore approaches to childhood illness and their implications for health literacy among Kenyan parents of young children (birth to age 5). Participants included parents, community health workers and community leaders (e.g. village elders) from the Kibera community in Kenya. Themes, resulting from the qualitative data analysis, were mapped onto the Research Triangle Institute's Health Literacy Skills Framework. Participants were well able to identify health risks, often turned to family and neighbors for medical advice, and relied on a range of resources to treat and prevent illnesses in their children. This range included reliance on traditional healers and religious leaders. Balancing cultural and medical viewpoints will be important considerations for interventions focused on supporting Kenyan parents' health literacy and skills to recognize and intervene when their children are sick.
父母是孩子的一线医护人员，因此需要识别和治疗症状，包括了解是否以及如何向医疗保健专业人员寻求治疗。除了解决儿童疾病所需的有形资源外，父母的健康素养技能还会影响他们的治疗决策。本研究通过焦点小组（N=9 组）和关键知情人访谈（N=13）收集的数据，探讨了肯尼亚幼儿（0-5 岁）父母的儿童疾病处理方法及其对健康素养的影响。参与者包括肯尼亚基贝拉社区的父母、社区卫生工作者和社区领袖（如村长）。从定性数据分析中得出的主题被映射到 Research Triangle Institute 的健康素养技能框架上。参与者能够很好地识别健康风险，经常向家人和邻居寻求医疗建议，并依靠一系列资源来治疗和预防孩子的疾病。这包括依赖传统治疗师和宗教领袖。平衡文化和医学观点将是干预措施的重要考虑因素，这些干预措施旨在支持肯尼亚父母的健康素养和技能，以便在孩子生病时识别和干预。
