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Participation of disadvantaged parents in child care research
D Joseph1, M P Wailoo, A Jackson
1Department of Child Health, The University of Leicester, UK.
Insights
Despite significant life challenges, underprivileged parents demonstrated high motivation and successfully collaborated in complex infant care research, highlighting the potential for research partnerships in deprived communities.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Sociology
- Health Research
Background:
- Parental participation is crucial for longitudinal infant development studies.
- Deprived families face unique lifestyle pressures that can impact research engagement.
- Understanding these pressures is key to developing effective research partnerships.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the extent of collaboration from parents in socially dysfunctional and deprived families within demanding research projects.
- To identify factors influencing parental participation in infant development research.
Main Methods:
- A home-based study involving overnight physiological recordings (deep-body temperature) and urine collection in infants (6-12 weeks).
- Parents maintained daily diaries and completed psychosocial assessments.
- Parental participation was assessed against concurrent lifestyle pressures.
Main Results:
- Out of 62 eligible parents, 39 (62%) consented to participate, with 22 (35%) completing the study.
- High levels of lifestyle pressures, including domestic crises, affected participation.
- Ten families cited overwhelming life events as reasons for non-participation.
Conclusions:
- Research collaborations are feasible with underprivileged families experiencing significant life adversities.
- Parents' perceived importance of infant care research motivated their engagement.
- Effective strategies can foster partnerships with vulnerable populations in scientific research.
Aim:
To assess the level to which parents from deprived and socially dysfunctional families collaborate in complex and time-consuming research.
Design:
Home-based study, of early physiological development in infants from a severely deprived area. Overnight continuous recordings of deep-body temperature with twice daily urine collection, parental daily diary of life-events and completion of child care social and psychological assessment by interview questionnaire. Measurements taken between age 6-12 weeks, each lasted 8-12 h per night, averaging four nights per baby. Level of parental participation assessed in relation to ongoing lifestyle pressures. Setting Home based. Inner city deprived estate.
Participants:
Random sample of mothers with newborn healthy infants.
Measurements:
A total of 87 overnight deep body temperature recordings were made on 22 infants each lasting 8-12 h; 174 urine samples were taken; and 22 sets of questionnaires were completed.
Results:
Of 62 inner city deprived parents, 39 (62%) agreed to participate. 22 (35%) completed the study. Ongoing lifestyle pressures were high including incidents of burglary, fire and family violence. Family and partner pressures and life crises overwhelmed 10 non-participations.
Conclusions:
Research partnerships can be developed with underprivileged families facing severe life-events. Parents were highly motivated to complete what they perceived as important infant care research.
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