title: A qualitative description of the development and evaluation of our voice, a health promotion magazine created by pediatric patients for hospitalized pediatric patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To facilitate a peer-developed health promotion magazine that provides health education and engages hospitalized pediatric patients during a hospital admission. To evaluate patient satisfaction with the content and layout of the magazine and its impact on patients' attitudes toward healthy living.
  
  
  METHODS
  A pediatric resident-led multidisciplinary team collaborated with the Children's Council at The Hospital for Sick Children to create a health promotion magazine for inpatients. Articles included a scavenger hunt, healthy recipes, physical activities, hospital staff interviews, and patient stories. Patients 7 to 18 years of age admitted to Pediatric Medicine or Respirology were invited to read the magazine and complete a questionnaire 24 hours later on their satisfaction with the magazine and their attitudes regarding healthy living.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-seven patients received a copy of the magazine, and 24 patients completed the questionnaire (mean 13.4 years, 54% female, 25% overweight/obese). Eleven of 24 (46%) read the entire magazine, and 19 of 23 (83%) reported learning. The exercises, recipes, and patient stories were most liked. Ten of 24 (42%) participants performed the exercises; the most common reason for not trying an exercise was pain. After reading the magazine, 15 of 24 (65%) patients reported that they will try to be more active, and 11 of 23 (48%) reported that they will try to eat more fruits and vegetables. Eighty-three percent were interested in a future edition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A health promotion magazine created by patients for patients changed patient-reported attitudes about healthy living. Peer-led interventions in the inpatient setting may be an important opportunity to promote healthy lifestyles and require further study.
authors: Divisions of Endocrinology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. paola.luca@sickkids.ca
authors: Paola D
authors: PD
authors: Luca
authors: Melissa
authors: M
authors: Chan
authors: Sanjukta
authors: S
authors: Basak
authors: Audrey O
authors: AO
authors: Segal
authors: Michelle
authors: M
authors: Porepa
authors: Marie
authors: M
authors: Pinard
authors: Hosanna
authors: H
authors: Au
authors: Catherine S
authors: CS
authors: Birken
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002673:Child, Hospitalized / Q000523:psychology*; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000517:prevention & control; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control; D010379:Peer Group; D010506:Periodicals as Topic; D036301:Qualitative Research; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior