SEARCHOTHERpediatrics, public health

other·pediatrics, public health, family medicine, epidemiology, observational study·PMC10022312

Enhancing the knowledge of parents on child health using eLearning in a government school in the semi-rural community of Karachi, Pakistan

PLOS Global Public Health · 7 authors, 5 centres

AI SUMMARY

FIDELITY 100%

POPULATIONParents of children (grades ECD-VIII) in a government school in a semi-rural community in Sindh, Pakistan

INTERVENTION12 interactive, monthly eLearning health awareness sessions delivered via virtual platform using MDConsults software

COMPARISONPre-session knowledge assessment compared to post-session knowledge assessment for each topic

This summary was generated by AI from a single paper. It has not been reviewed by a clinician and is not clinical advice. Verify against the source before acting on it.

AGENT 01 · STRUCTURED SUMMARY

TRACE TO SOURCE

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TL;DR

A mixed-method study evaluated a 12-session eLearning program for parents in a semi-rural Pakistani school, finding a significant increase in parental knowledge on 8 out of 12 child health topics and qualitative themes of perceived usefulness, barriers, and future steps.

Full summary

406 CHARS

This study used a mixed-method design to assess an eLearning health education program for parents in a semi-rural Pakistani school. Twelve monthly virtual sessions on child health topics were delivered to a mean of 21.8 parents per session. The findings suggest eLearning can enhance parental health knowledge in low-resource settings, though a combination with in-person interaction may be more effective.

PICO

PPOPULATION

Parents of children (grades ECD-VIII) in a government school in a semi-rural community in Sindh, Pakistan

IINTERVENTION

12 interactive, monthly eLearning health awareness sessions delivered via virtual platform using MDConsults software

OOUTCOME

Change in parents' knowledge score (measured via pre-post tests) and qualitative perceptions of the program

STUDY TYPE

other

SPECIALTY

pediatrics

SUMMARISED BY

AI pipeline

FIDELITY CHECK

100% · A

ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10022312

Enhancing the knowledge of parents on child health using eLearning in a government school in the semi-rural community of Karachi, Pakistan

PLOS Global Public Health

READ THE FULL PAPER

ABSTRACT

Abstract Education is one of the vital social determinants of health. Health and education share a symbiotic relationship for all cadre including children and adolescents to ensure that they are well equipped to combat the health risk in the environment. The current literature globally found some initiatives to create health awareness among school children. However, there is a dearth of studies available addressing parental health awareness through school platforms. Therefore, the current study aims to fill this gap, and the Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery initiated the School Health Program (SHP) in one of the remote communities in Sindh, Pakistan. The overall goal of the study was to improve children’s health by enhancing the health awareness of the parents through school platforms utilizing online modalities. Another objective of this study was to identify the effect of using eLearning on parental knowledge and perceptions. The study utilized a sequential explanatory mixed-method design. Twelve health awareness sessions relevant to children’s health using eLearning were conducted over one year. Parents’ knowledge was assessed through a pre-posttest, which was administered after each teaching session. Subsequently, focused group discussions were carried out with parents, community leaders, and schoolteachers to gain insights regarding the effectiveness of the health education program. The pre-and post-test results showed again in knowledge in nine out of twelve sessions. The findings from qualitative content analysis yielded three key themes: Perceived usefulness of eLearning, Barriers affecting usability, and Way forward for eLearning through school platforms. The study showed parental satisfaction with the online health education awareness program. They exhibited enthusiasm and desire for further similar sessions in the future. The results demonstrated an enhancement in parental awareness about common health conditions among school children. This study may be replicated on a larger scale in the schools of Pakistan.

CITATION EXPORT

Saleema Gulzar, Sana Saeed, Salimah Taufiq Kirmani et al.. Enhancing the knowledge of parents on child health using eLearning in a government school in the semi-rural community of Karachi, Pakistan. PLOS Global Public Health. (2022). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0000500

AUTHORS

7 · 5 CENTRES

Saleema Gulzar, Sana Saeed, Salimah Taufiq Kirmani, Rozina Karmaliani, Md Anwarul Azim Majumder, Md Anwarul Azim Majumder, Julia Robinson

1School of Nursing and Midwifery, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
2Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
3Department of Information Technology, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
4Department of Community Health Services, School of Nursing and Midwifery, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
5The University of the West Indies, BARBADOS