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Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). The way children commute to and from school has been described in the literature as passive or active commuting. Active commuting among children in England is low, with the most recent evidence available indicating that between 2% and 8% of children cycle to school. Encouraging active commuting by bicycle among children may be a particular way to increase participation in cycling. Evidence reports that parents influence their children’s attitudes and interests both directly and indirectly; levels of physical activity of a child, for instance, can be shaped via socialisation. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to explore the barriers to children cycling as a means of active commuting. The study used qualitative methods for collecting and analysing data with a diagnostic perspective. A total of eighteen parents, ten mothers and eight fathers, participated in the interviews. Children, eleven girls and seven boys, were aged eight to twelve years. Children’s mean age was 10.2 ± 1.6 years. Children’s primary modes of transport to school were by car (55.6%), walking (33.3%) and by bus (5.6%). Overall, a series of factors seem to prevent parents from supporting their children to actively commute to school. Parents fear their children being exposed to crime and bad weather conditions while actively commuting to school. The absence of cycling lanes and long or short distances from school are further issues preventing parents from supporting their children to cycle to school. Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior [BEX 13281/13-5].

Bu araştırmada Bilim ve Sanat Merkezini yeni kazanan öğrencilerin ailelerinin BİLSEM’le ilgili algılarını metaforlar yoluyla ortaya çıkarmak amaçlanmıştır. Ortaya çıkan sonuçların eğitim düzeyi ve cinsiyet açısından farklılaşıp farklılaşmadığı incelenmiştir. Araştırmanın çalışma grubu 2022-2023 eğitim öğretim yılında Kahta BİLSEM’i yeni kazanan 27 özel yetenekli öğrencinin velileri oluşturmaktadır. Bu araştırmada nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden olgubilim (fenomonoloji) deseni kullanılmıştır. Veriler araştırmacı tarafından oluşturulan görüşme formu kullanılarak toplanmıştır. Veliler BİLSEM’e yönelik 23 adet metafor üretmişlerdir. BİLSEM ile ilgili üretilen metaforlar, Destek Veren-Rehber, Öğretirken Eğlendiren, Keşfedici ve Araştıran temaları altında toplanmıştır. BİLSEM Program Yapısına en uygun tema olarak Destek Veren-Rehber teması görülmüştür. Velilerin BİLSEM ile ilgili ürettikleri metaforlar incelendiğinde; eğitim düzeyi açısından farklılık gösterdiği cinsiyet açısından ise farklılık göstermediği görülmüştür. Ortaya çıkan bulgular doğrultusunda; BİLSEM program yapısının doğru anlaşılması adına velilere yönelik rehberlik faaliyetlerinin yürütülmesi ve yürütülen rehberlik faaliyetlerinde ailelerin eğitim düzeyinin göz önüne alınması önerilerinde bulunulmuştur., In this research, it is aimed to reveal the perceptions of the parents of the newly admitted students of the Kahta Science and Art Center about BILSEM through metaphors. It was examined whether the results differed in terms of education level and gender. The study group of the research consists of 27 parents of students who have just been excepted Kahta BILSEM in the 2022-2023 academic year. In this study, phenomenology design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher. With the study, the parents produced 23 metaphors for BILSEM. The metaphors produced about BILSEM were grouped under the themes of Supporting-Guide, Entertaining While Teaching, Discoverer and Researcher. Supporting-Guide Theme was seen as the most suitable theme for BILSEM Program Structure. When the metaphors produced by the parents about BILSEM were examined in terms of education level, it was seen that there were differences. When the metaphors produced by the parents about BILSEM were examined in terms of gender, it was seen that there was no difference. In line with the findings; It has been suggested that the guidance activities carried out for the parents are very important for the correct understanding of the BILSEM program structure and that the education level of the parents should be taken into account in the guidance activities.

The changes and general alarm of the current COVID-19 pandemic have amplified the sense of precariousness and vulnerability for family members who, in addition to the emotional trauma of the cancer diagnosis, add the distress and fear of the risks associated with infection. The primary objectives of the present study were to investigate the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the parents of pediatric cancer patients, and the level of stress, anxiety, and the child’s quality of life perceived by the parents during the COVID-19 epidemic. The parents of 45 consecutive children with solid and hematological tumors were enrolled. Four questionnaires (Impact of Event Scale-Revised – IES-R; Perceived Stress Scale – PSS; Spielberger State – Trait Anxiety Inventory – STAI-Y; Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory – PedsQL) were administered to the parents at the beginning of the pandemic lockdown. A 75% of parents exhibited remarkable levels of anxiety, with 60 subjects in state scale and 45 subjects in trait scale having scores that reached and exceeded the STAI-Y cut off. The bivariate matrix of correlation found a significant positive correlation between the IES-R and PSS scores (r = 0.55, P < 0.001). There was a positive correlation between the PSS and PedsQL (emotional needs) scale (P < 0.001) and a negative correlation between IES-R and STAI-Y (P < 0.001). The results confirm that parents of pediatric cancer patients have a high psychological risk for post-traumatic symptoms, high stress levels, and the presence of clinically significant levels of anxiety.

Background Parents are integral in the treatment of pediatric eating disorders. The current study was conducted to further understand the barriers and facilitators that parents experience in accessing specialized, tertiary level eating disorder treatment for children and adolescents. The goals of the study were to understand the processes leading to diagnosis and treatment, perceived barriers and facilitators to accessing care, and parents’ experiences over the course of their child’s eating disorder treatment. Methods Ten parents whose children were admitted to a Canadian tertiary level specialized pediatric eating disorders program took part in an exit interview upon their child’s completion of treatment in the program. In-depth semi-structured interviews were combined with a visual timeline. Interpretive induction was performed to generate high-level concepts that emerged from the interviews. Results Five high-level concepts were identified: (1) delays in identifying eating disorder symptoms, (2) challenges in accessing eating disorder services, (3) the right treatment at the right time, (4) emotional impact on parents, and (5) parental expertise and involvement. Conclusions Several barriers were identified by parents that interfered with treatment, including system-related challenges when accessing specialized eating disorder treatment, concerns about a lack of appropriate mental health support for their child, and difficulties with transitioning between community and tertiary level care. Negative emotions, including guilt and self-blame, were common early in the treatment journey. Themes of parental involvement throughout treatment, and parents taking charge of their child’s recovery, emerged across interviews. The results of this study suggest the importance of early identification of eating disorder symptoms, facilitating smoother transitions between levels of care (e.g., community services and hospital-based eating disorder care), and improving clinical decision-making to ensure children and adolescents with eating disorders receive the most appropriate treatment based on their clinical presentation. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40337-021-00449-x., Plain English summary Parents play a central role in pediatric eating disorder treatment. To further understand parents’ experiences over the course of their child’s eating disorder treatment, interviews were conducted with ten parents whose children were admitted to a specialized pediatric eating disorders program. Five major themes emerged across the interviews with parents: delays in identifying eating disorder symptoms, challenges with accessing eating disorders care, the right treatment at the right time, emotional impact on parents, and parental expertise and involvement. Parents shared several barriers that interfered with their child’s treatment, including challenges with transitions between their home community and specialized eating disorder treatment. Parents also commonly spoke about guilt and self-blame when their child was first diagnosed with an eating disorder, though many parents felt relief and improved confidence after being connected with specialized eating disorder treatment. Research is needed to understand how to provide the right treatment at the right time for each child and adolescent with an eating disorder, to ultimately improve clinical care and reduce the barriers experienced by families. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40337-021-00449-x.

Since companion animals are taking on more important roles in family life, the aim of this study was to evaluate the perception of parents about the relationship between their children and pets. A number of parents were asked to fill in a questionnaire; the principal topics were: pet ownership, pet care, relationship between pets and children, and sources of information about pet management. Eighty-two parents completed the survey; 71.4% of them already had pets before having children; pet care and health has emerged to be rather important, since 96.4% of the pets are taken to the veterinarian at least once a year; moreover, the great majority of the parents (97.2%) were not worried about the possible risks, linked to pets, pertaining to their child's health. The present survey confirms that pets are mostly considered as members of the family, and not only as a benefit for the children. Moreover, the relationship between children and pets is basically seen as a positive experience for children.

Introduction: In this 3-year longitudinal study, parent/child attended 3 dental visits and in between, parents were called every 4 months and asked if their child had visited the dentist and if fluoride varnish had been applied. Methods: Objectives were to assess changes in parents’ perceptions of how well they do in taking care of their children’s teeth and/or gums across these 3 time points (at age 1, 2.5, and 4 years), assess differences in parents’ perceptions of how well they do taking care of their children’s teeth and/or gums versus taking care of their children’s medical health, and determine factors associated with parental perceptions of how well they do in taking care of the children’s teeth and/or gums longitudinally. Results: Participant pairs (1325) were enrolled and over time there was a significant improvement in parental perceptions of their job taking care of their children’s teeth and/or gums, increasing from 86% perceiving it to be excellent/very good/good at their child’s 1 year of age to 92% at child’s age 4 years. The estimated odds of parents perceiving they provided excellent/very good/good versus fair/poor care for the children’s teeth and/or gums were higher for those who cleaned and checked inside the children’s mouth and/or gums daily (odds ratio 4.74) or took their children to the dentist yearly or twice yearly (odds ratio; 2.73). Conclusions: Parents’ perceptions of the care of their children’s teeth and/or gums improved over time. Parents consistently perceived that they provided better medical care than dental care for their child.