title: [Enumerating the preventive youth health care workforce: size, composition and regional variation in the Netherlands].
abstract: The progress in workforce planning in preventive youth health care (YHC) is hampered by a lack of data on the current workforce. This study aimed to enumerate the Dutch YHC workforce. To understand regional variations in workforce capacity we compared these with the workforce capacity and the number of children and indicators of YHC need per region.
  
  
  
  A national survey was conducted using online questionnaires based on WHO essential public health operations among all YHC workers. Respondents (n=3220) were recruited through organisations involved in YHC (participation: 88%).
  
  
  
  The YHC workforce is multi-disciplinary, 62% had > 10 years working experience within YHC and only small regional variations in composition existed. The number of children per YHC professional varied between regions (range: 688-1007). All essential public health operations were provided. Regional differences in the number of children per YHC professional were unrelated to the indicators of YHC need.
  
  
  
  The essential public health operations provided by the YHC workforce and the regional variations in children per YHC professional were not in line with indicators of YHC needs, indicating room for improvement of YHC workforce planning. The methodology applied in this study is probably relevant for use in other countries.
authors: *Dit onderzoek werd eerder gepubliceerd in Health Policy (2015;119:1557-64) met als titel 'Enumerating the preventive youth health care workforce: size, composition and regional variation in the Netherlands'. Afgedrukt met toestemming.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Jambroes
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Lamkaddem
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Stronks
authors: M L
authors: ML
authors: Essink-Bot
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011634:Public Health; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires