Parent Perspectives on Health Care-Based Voter Engagement: A Qualitative Study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Public Health Policy
• Civic Engagement

Background:

• Parental perspectives on the link between civic participation and child well-being are crucial for understanding health determinants.
• Healthcare systems can play a role in promoting health equity through patient engagement in democratic processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore parent views on how voting influences child health.
• To identify optimal strategies for healthcare providers to foster voter engagement among patients and their families.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative study involving semistructured interviews with parents/guardians of patients at an urban children's hospital.
• Participant data collected via email surveys on demographics and voting habits.
• Transcripts were analyzed using iterative, thematic, inductive open coding by trained coders.

Main Results:

• Twenty-two interviews revealed themes connecting voting to child health, including community improvement, funding for health services, and social environment impacts.
• Parents recommended healthcare-based voter engagement strategies such as contextualizing voting information with health, offering diverse communication channels, and involving various healthcare staff.

Conclusions:

• Parental insights highlight the perceived connection between voting and child health outcomes.
• Findings provide a foundation for future research on the mechanisms linking voting to child health and inform healthcare-based voter engagement initiatives.