Mother/daughter intergenerational interviews: insights into qualitative interviewing.

Area of Science:

• Social History
• Qualitative Research Methods
• Child Health Records

Background:

• The Well Child/Health and Development Record Book (Plunket Book) is a key document in New Zealand's child health system.
• Understanding the long-term social significance of these records beyond their primary clinical use is important.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the reasons why mothers retain their children's Plunket Books beyond the typical five-year period of healthcare professional engagement.
• To examine the social history and intergenerational transmission of practices related to child health records.

Main Methods:

• Utilized mother-daughter intergenerational dyad interviews, a less common but insightful qualitative research method.
• Conducted interviews within the context of a larger study on the social history of the Plunket Book in New Zealand.

Main Results:

• Mother-daughter dyad interviews provided unique insights into the enduring value and use of Plunket Books across generations.
• The study highlights the importance of the interaction between mother, daughter, and researcher in constructing meaningful data.

Conclusions:

• The practice of retaining Plunket Books reflects deeper social and intergenerational connections.
• The success of mother-daughter dyad interviews demonstrates their potential for uncovering overlooked qualitative data in social history research.