Using focus groups to understand mother-child communication about sex

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Sociology
• Pediatric Nursing

Background:

• Adolescent sexual risk behaviors are a significant public health concern.
• Effective communication between parents and adolescents is crucial for sexual health.
• Understanding parental perspectives is key to developing targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore communication themes surrounding sex and sexual risk behavior.
• To examine these themes in low-income mothers of adolescents.
• To identify barriers and facilitators in parent-child sexual communication.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive focus group study design.
• Utilized Jaccard's communication constructs to guide questions.
• Qualitative data analysis to identify overarching themes.

Main Results:

• Mothers expressed discomfort discussing sex, particularly with sons.
• Mothers prioritized their values and beliefs in sexual discussions.
• Mothers recognized the need for developmentally appropriate sexual information for their children.

Conclusions:

• Findings highlight parental discomfort and value-based communication in sexual health discussions.
• Pediatric nurses can use this information to better engage families.
• Interventions should support mothers in providing age-appropriate sexual education.