Parental Hesitancy and Concerns around Accessing Paediatric Unscheduled Healthcare during COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Survey.
Int J Environ Res Public Health
; 17(24)2020 12 11.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-971349
ABSTRACT
A decrease in attendance at emergency departments among paediatric populations has been reported during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The present study sought to understand parents' hesitancy and concerns around accessing healthcare during the pandemic using a cross-sectional survey of parents of children under the age of 16 (N = 1044) in Ireland. Multinomial and logistic regression analyses were used to determine the factors that influenced avoidance and hesitancy. In total, 34% of participants stated that their child required healthcare during the pandemic, of whom 22% decided against seeking healthcare. Parents who reported being much more hesitant about accessing healthcare were more likely to report mild-moderate (Relative Risk Ratio (RRR) = 2.31, CI 1.54-3.47) and severe-extremely severe stress (RRR 3.37, CI 1.81-6.27). Parents who understood government advice to mean avoiding health services were more likely to be hesitant to attend (RRR 1.71, CI; 1.10-2.67). These effects held when restrictions were beginning to be lifted. Higher levels of stress were associated with a parent believing that the government advice meant that they should not attend health services (OR 1.66, CI 1.14-2.41). Public health messaging must ensure parents are reassured on the accessibility and safety of paediatric healthcare services as this public health emergency continues.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Parents
/
Pediatrics
/
Patient Acceptance of Health Care
/
Pandemics
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Child
/
Child, preschool
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
English
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Ijerph17249264
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS