title: [The effect of visits by community nurses on families with small children--a survey of two population groups with normal and reduced number of visits].
abstract: The object of this investigation was to assess the effect of health visiting by a qualified health visitor on families with preschool children. A total of 498 families distributed in two regions in the Municipality of Copenhagen were included in the questionnaire investigation. 72% replied. The two regions are similar as regards the composition of the population. In one region there was a deficit of health visitors while the other region had normal health visiting. The investigation illustrates the sources of information which parents employed concerning subjects which were relevant for development and thriving of the children. The social network, published health information and the health visitor were frequent sources of information. General practitioners were the source of information which was least used. Parents in the region with normal health visiting received more information from the health visitor than parents in the region with reduced health visiting. The doctor on call was employed frequently by parents with their first child, parents with no training or only brief training and the parents in the region with reduced health visiting. Mothers with normal health visiting breast-fed their infants longer and commenced giving the child solid food at the recommended times as compared with families with reduced health visiting. Parents with normal health visiting felt more confident as parents and were more satisfied with the visits of the health visitor than parents with reduced health visiting. Assessment of consultations by the general practitioner was uniform in both of the groups. Mothers without training and unskilled mothers profited most from visits by the health visitor.
authors.affiliation: Københavns Universitet, Institut for Social Medicin.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guldager
mesh_terms: D002662:Child Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D003718:Denmark; D006801:Humans; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000078329:Workforce
vernacular_title: Effekten af sundhedspleje til småbørnsfamilier--en undersøgelse af to befolkningsgrupper med henholdsvis normal og reduceret sundhedspleje.