[Effects of written educational material on parental health knowledge depending on socioeconomic status :...

The nationwide prevention program "Parent Guide - Growing up Healthy" aims to improve parental health knowledge in Germany. At the birth of their first child, parents of any socioeconomic status (SES) are provided with written educational material that includes relevant health knowledge as well as basic information about routine health checkups for children.

This study aimed at evaluating the program regarding 1) the effects on parental health knowledge and parental satisfaction with routine child health checkups, 2) the sensitivity of the effects on SES, and 3) parental acceptance of the written educational material.

A longitudinal randomized controlled trial (RCT) was carried out with 1318 young parents recruited from 14 hospitals with maternity clinics in Germany. Parents of the intervention group received educational material whereas controls didn't receive material. Respondents completed interviews at the child's birth (T0) and first birthday (T1).

Parental health knowledge at T1 was significantly higher (p = 0.005; partial eta² = 0.006) in the intervention group but with a small effect size. The influence of the educational material was not moderated by SES (p = 0.456). Satisfaction with routine child health checkups did not differ significantly between the groups (p = 0.606). Parents showed high acceptance of the parent guide regardless of SES.

Written educational material is an effective approach in increasing parental health knowledge and has the potential to reach all parents regardless of SES. A higher satisfaction with routine child health checkups could not be achieved by educational material.