Dataset Information

'She didn't know how to go back': School attendance problems in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic-A multiple stakeholder qualitative study with parents and professionals.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in school closures worldwide and unexcused absences have increased since schools reopened.

Aims

Drawing on multiple stakeholders' perspectives, we aimed to (i) develop a detailed understanding of how school attendance problems (SAPs) have manifested for primary school-aged children in the context of COVID-19; and (ii) identify promising community-based intervention strategies.

Methods

We used a qualitative design with two sequential phases of data collection. Phase 1 involved insight generation using qualitative surveys with parents and professionals working in primary education settings. These results were used to guide in-depth stakeholder interviews in Phase 2.

Sample

Phase 1 included 29 parents of primary-school children experiencing SAPs and 19 professionals. Phase 2 included 10 parents and 12 professionals. Parents were recruited through social media; professionals were identified through schools and associated networks in Southern England.

Results

Attendance was particularly challenging for children with special educational needs and pre-existing anxiety problems. Compounding factors included COVID-related anxiety, difficulties adapting to new school routines, poor home-school communication and collaboration, and concerns about academic catch-up. Effective support was characterized by schools and families working closely together. Recommendations for practice improvements centred on early intervention, re-building parent-school relationships, peer support for parents, and improving special educational provision.

Conclusion

New interventions for SAPs must be sensitive to the ongoing COVID-19 context. Help should be easily accessible in the community and address modifiable risk and protective factors for individual children, in family systems, and at the home-school interface.

SUBMITTER: McDonald B

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10099830 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

'She didn't know how to go back': School attendance problems in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic-A multiple stakeholder qualitative study with parents and professionals.

McDonald Brontë B Lester Kathryn J KJ Michelson Daniel D

The British journal of educational psychology 20221107 1

<h4>Background</h4>The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in school closures worldwide and unexcused absences have increased since schools reopened.<h4>Aims</h4>Drawing on multiple stakeholders' perspectives, we aimed to (i) develop a detailed understanding of how school attendance problems (SAPs) have manifested for primary school-aged children in the context of COVID-19; and (ii) identify promising community-based intervention strategies.<h4>Methods</h4>We used a qualitative design with two sequential ...[more]

PMID: 36345270

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Project description:BackgroundPolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common and complex condition affecting metabolic, reproductive, cardiovascular, and psychological health in women. Previous studies point to widespread dissatisfaction and delays with the diagnosis of PCOS and a lack of information provision by doctors, with few studies on Canadian populations. This multi-methods study explored the perceptions and experiences of PCOS diagnosis in Canada using an online-distributed survey and follow-up, in-depth, semi-structured phone interviews.MethodsThe online questionnaire was completed by 296 women aged 18-60 with a self-reported diagnosis of PCOS. The survey measured time to diagnosis, number of doctors seen, and information provided. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, Fisher's exact tests, and Spearman's rank correlations were used to analyze the sample characteristics and correlations between the demographic factors and the outcome measures. Twenty-five follow-up interviews were held over the phone and analyzed using thematic analysis and interpretive description methodology.ResultsSurvey respondents were dissatisfied with the information provided about PCOS (66%), lifestyle management (34%), and medical therapy (38%) at the time of diagnosis. Approximately 34% of respondents waited for more than 2 years and 41% saw 3 or more doctors before attaining diagnosis. Many did not receive any information about lifestyle management (42%) or medical therapy (28%). Interview participants encountered doctors who lacked sufficient knowledge on PCOS to diagnose, chronically dismissed concerns, and did not provide necessary medical information about the condition. Women described benefitting from self-advocation to receive the care they needed from doctors, and self-educating about PCOS using materials they could find online. Younger interview participants whose symptoms began in adolescence would often not understand the significance of symptoms until much later in life, contributing to delayed diagnoses.ConclusionsGreater education on PCOS for physicians, particularly in primary care, is needed to prevent delayed diagnoses and ensure that patients are provided with reliable medical information about their condition. Greater awareness of PCOS may be necessary for the general population to help women identify symptoms, especially for adolescents and their parental figures.

Dataset Information

'She didn't know how to go back': School attendance problems in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic-A multiple stakeholder qualitative study with parents and professionals.

Background

Aims

Methods

Sample

Results

Conclusion

Publications

'She didn't know how to go back': School attendance problems in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic-A multiple stakeholder qualitative study with parents and professionals.

Similar Datasets

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