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Pediatrics

Enhancing Parental Health Literacy through Educational Workshops for Children with Complex Health Needs

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Parents of children with complex health needs often require additional support to manage their child's condition effectively. A recent workshop conducted by researchers from Bournemouth University aimed to enhance parental health literacy by providing educational sessions specifically tailored to address the needs of these families. The workshop focused on topics such as puberty, toileting, and seizure management, and featured specialist-led interactive sessions. The results showed significant improvements in parents' understanding and confidence, with over 90% of attendees reporting that the workshop met their expectations.

Key Takeaways:

  • The workshop was designed to enhance parental health literacy for managing children with complex health needs, with a focus on areas such as puberty, toileting, and seizure management.
  • Specialist-led interactive sessions were held, with pre-event and post-event surveys assessing changes in parental confidence.
  • Results showed significant improvements in understanding, with confidence scores rising across all topics, particularly in puberty (2.7 to 4.2) and feeding support (4 to 5).
  • Over 90% of attendees reported that the workshop met their expectations.
  • The study highlights the benefits of co-production in education and suggests further research into long-term impacts and larger-scale interventions.
  • The publication is based on research by Sarah Thomas and her team at Bournemouth University.

Statistics:

  • 90% of attendees reported that the workshop met their expectations.
  • Confidence scores in puberty rose from 2.7 to 4.2.
  • Confidence scores in feeding support rose from 4 to 5.
  • The study was conducted through a workshop involving specialist-led interactive sessions.

Sources:

  • Research: "Enhancing parental health literacy through educational workshops: improving care for children with complex health needs." BMJ Paediatrics Open, 2025, 9(1).
  • Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group.
  • URL: bjpaedsopen.bmj.com/
  • DOI: 10.1136/bmjpo-2025-003511.
  • Authors: Sarah Thomas, Hannah Zhu, May Yip, Kathryn Moore, Jin Khaw, Javairia Yakoob, Hemavathy Palanyiaya.

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