Child health service's response to early feeding and behaviour problems: changes in parental perceptions 1970-93.
OBJECTIVE
This health systems study was done to measure changes over time concerning parents' perceptions of feeding and behavioural problems in children 6-18 mo of age, parents' willingness to use child health services and their evaluation of the advice received.


METHODS
The study had a repetitive cross-sectional design. Three largely identical surveys were performed in 1970, 1988 and 1993. Questionnaires were sent to a random sample of all parents of children 6-18 mo living in Uppsala, Sweden.


CONCLUSIONS
The frequency of different perceived feeding and/or behavioural problems was stable or declined between 1970 and 1988, but increased in 1993. For most problems, inclination to seek help and perceived benefit of advice decreased between 1970 and 1988, but increased again in 1993. The parents sought more help and perceived the advice they received as more beneficial when the service was in the hands of paediatric nurses (1970) or of district nurses focusing on the care of infants and preschool children (1993) than when the district nurses also had responsibilities for adults and the elderly (1988). No correlation was seen with societal and sociodemographic trends. Although the cross-sectional (hence non-experimental) design of the study makes it impossible to prove causality, the findings suggest that parents' willingness to use the child health service and their evaluation of that service may depend in part on organization, including the degree to which nurses with "first-line" contacts are focused on paediatric services.
Magnusson
M
M
Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Sweden. margaretha.magnusson@pediatrik.uu.se
Garrett
M J
MJ
Sundelin
C
C
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018730:Infant Behavior; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden