Jr. Schultz et Lm. Vaughn, Brief report: Learning to parent: A survey of parents in an urban pediatric primary care clinic, J PED PSYCH, 24(5), 1999, pp. 441-445
Objective: To survey parents bringing children to an urban pediatric primar
y care clinic about (1) how they learned parenting skills, (2) role of the
clinic in teaching parenting, (3) helpfulness of information sources, and (
4) preferred modalities for teaching.
Methods: A total of 108 adults completed an oral survey in clinic, consisti
ng of open-ended questions, yes/no endorsements, Likert ratings, and demogr
aphic questions.
Results: The majority reported learning to parent from their families or "b
y just doing it." Talking with professionals was rated as very helpful. Mos
t had parenting questions. Almost half wanted information regarding specifi
c developmental/behavioral issues, while only 8% wanted medical information
. Most felt they could talk with clinic professionals about concerns but fe
wer had done so. Modality preferences were reported.
Conclusions: Inner-city parents value working with primary care providers t
o improve knowledge of developmental/behavioral issues. Results have implic
ations for the anticipatory guidance process, content of information provid
ed, and the training of pediatric healthcare providers. We determined prefe
rences for information delivery.