Parents’ and Caregivers’ Support for in-School COVID-19 Mitigation Strategies: A Socioecological Perspective
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Published:2024-01-04
Issue:
Volume:
Page:
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ISSN:1524-8399
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Container-title:Health Promotion Practice
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language:en
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Short-container-title:Health Promotion Practice
Author:
Prichett Laura1ORCID, Berry Andrea A.2, Calderon Gabriela1ORCID, Wang June3, Hager Erin R.4, Klein Lauren M.1, Edwards Lorece V.5, Liu Yisi1, Johnson Sara B.14
Affiliation:
1. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA 2. University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA 3. Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA 4. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA 5. Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD, USA
Abstract
Informed by the social ecological model, which asserts that health behaviors and beliefs are the result of multiple levels of influence, we examined factors related to parents’ support for in-school COVID-19 mitigation strategies. Using data from a survey of 567 parents/caregivers of public elementary and middle school students in eight Maryland counties, we employed regression models to examine relationships between parent-, child-, family-, school-, and community-level factors and acceptability of mitigation strategies. Acceptance of COVID-19 mitigation strategies was positively correlated with child- and family-level factors, including child racial identity (parents of Black children were more accepting than those of White children, odds ratio [OR]: 2.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.5, 4.1]), parent receipt of the COVID-19 vaccine (OR: 2.4, 95% CI = [1.5, 3.7]), and parent Democrat or Independent political affiliation (compared with Republican affiliation, OR: 4.2, 95% CI = [2.6, 6.7]; OR: 2.2, 95%CI = [1.3, 3.8], respectively). Acceptance was also positively associated with parents’ perceptions of their school’s mitigation approach, including higher school mitigation score, indicating more intensive mitigation policies (OR: 1.1, 95% CI = [1.0, 1.1]), better school communication about COVID-19 (OR: 1.7, 95% CI = [1.4, 1.9]) and better school capacity to address COVID-19 (OR: 1.9, 95% CI = [1.5, 2.4]). Community-level factors were not associated with acceptance. Child- and parent-level factors identified suggest potential groups for messaging regarding mitigation strategies. School-level factors may play an important role in parents’ acceptance of in-school mitigation strategies. Schools’ capacity to address public health threats may offer an underappreciated and modifiable setting for disseminating and reinforcing public health guidance.
Funder
National Institutes of Health
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Subject
Nursing (miscellaneous),Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Reference45 articles.
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