Effect of a theory of planned behaviour-based self-care education programme on glycaemic control in patients with diabetic retinopathy: a quasi-experimental study.

The hospitalization of a child of any age can be a profoundly distressing experience for parents. Mental health outcomes for parents of hospitalized children are worse than those of the general population, with symptoms of anxiety at rates twice as high and depression at rates three times as high. The adverse psychological effects, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), can last for years after a child’s hospitalization. Research on parental and family experiences of hospitalized children spans decades. Systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and metasyntheses highlight the high levels of stress and negative emotions parents often experience, including worry, fear, and hopelessness, as well as hope. The parent and family experience is strongly influenced by the quality and frequency of communication and trusting relationships with the healthcare team, as well as by hospital policies, education, and support services that encourage involvement in their child’s care and decision-making. This research is predominantly from high-income countries and is often conducted within specific diagnostic groups (e.g., oncology, cardiology, preterm birth) or hospital care settings (e.g., pediatric or neonatal intensive care). There remains an inadequate understanding of the common experiences, needs, strengths, and supports to inform pediatric hospital practice and policy globally. Research on parental experiences has historically focused on individual rather than structural factors that shape parent and family experiences and outcomes, although there is a growing literature on the socioeconomic influences on families in some contexts. The socio-ecologic model (SEM) was developed to understand influences on human development and has guided health behavior and outcomes research for decades. This well-established model conceptualizes broadening levels of influence on health, including the individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and societal. Another prominent model guiding pediatric hospital care is Family-centered care (FCC). FCC is a collaborative approach to health care that is well documented to mitigate the parental trauma and stress of having a child in the hospital. FCC-based interventions have been shown to improve both child and parent outcomes. FCC in pediatric hospitals is based on four core principles of respect and dignity, information sharing, parent participation in care, and collaboration. FCC involves parents as core members of the health care team and partners with professional health care providers in their child’s care and decision-making. FCC has been empirically validated and promoted for decades as the global standard for pediatric care.