JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting最新文献

{"title":"Virtual, Augmented, Mixed, and Immersive Technologies for Prenatal and Childbirth Education: Scoping Review.","authors":"Susanna Pardini, Olga Navarro Martínez, Oscar Mayora Ibarra","doi":"10.2196/83621","DOIUrl":"10.2196/83621","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Virtual, augmented, mixed, and other immersive technologies, collectively referred to as extended reality (XR), are increasingly used to enhance experiential learning in health education. By creating interactive 3-dimensional or 360° environments, these technologies allow expectant parents to engage in realistic prenatal and childbirth scenarios, promoting emotional preparedness, knowledge acquisition, and confidence. Although XR has been widely studied in clinical training, its application in prenatal and childbirth education for parents remains less systematically explored.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This scoping review aims to map and synthesize the current evidence on the use of virtual, augmented, mixed, and immersive technologies in prenatal and childbirth education, highlighting their educational benefits, methodological approaches, and implementation challenges.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A comprehensive search was conducted across Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, CINAHL, IEEE Xplore, APA PsycINFO, and APA PsycArticles from inception to October 16, 2025. Search terms included \"virtual reality,\" \"augmented reality,\" \"mixed reality,\" \"extended reality,\" and \"immersive technology,\" combined with prenatal and childbirth education descriptors. Studies were included if they applied immersive or XR technologies to deliver prenatal or childbirth education for expectant parents. Screening and data extraction were performed independently by 2 reviewers following PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. The review was registered on Open Science Framework (OSF).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>From 1861 records, 11 studies from 8 countries were included, spanning randomized controlled, quasi-experimental, feasibility, and qualitative designs. Interventions comprised head-mounted display-based virtual reality, 360° video, and mixed reality simulations. Outcomes covered psychological, physiological, educational, and experiential domains. Most studies reported feasibility and high engagement, with encouraging signals for reduced anxiety and improved birth preparedness and, in some cases, reductions in pain and intrapartum indicators. No serious adverse events were reported; nausea and discomfort were infrequent and transient. Thematic analysis identified 5 recurring themes: enhanced birth preparedness, realism and presence as a key mechanism, usability barriers and the need for guided facilitation, motivational and educational potential, and limited partner inclusion. Methodological quality was heterogeneous, with small samples, nonstandardized measures, and short follow-up.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Evidence for XR in prenatal education is promising yet preliminary. Rigorous multicenter studies with standardized outcomes, longer follow-up, and greater partner involvement, alongside attention to equitable access and digit","PeriodicalId":36223,"journal":{"name":"JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting","volume":"9 ","pages":"e83621"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13133985/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147821867","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Supporting Parents of Young Children With Type 1 Diabetes Through Telehealth: Randomized Controlled Trial of the Reducing Emotional Distress for Childhood Hypoglycemia in Parents Intervention.","authors":"Susana R Patton, Nicole Kahhan, Holly O'Donnell, David D Williams, Mark Clements, Kimberly Driscoll","doi":"10.2196/86616","DOIUrl":"10.2196/86616","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Parents of young children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are vulnerable to experiencing fear of hypoglycemia (FH), an emotional condition that includes persistent and intense worry about hypoglycemia and/or use of unhealthful behaviors to avoid hypoglycemia. Despite greater uptake of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and automated insulin delivery systems, FH remains prevalent and under-addressed in parents of young children. As such, we developed Reducing Emotional Distress for Childhood Hypoglycemia in Parents (REDCHiP), a video-based telehealth intervention designed to reduce FH in parents by providing T1D education and teaching parents how to apply evidence-based strategies from cognitive behavioral therapy and behavioral parent training in their child's daily T1D care.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to compare the REDCHiP intervention to a novel attention control condition (ATTN) to better isolate treatment effects for REDCHiP based on parents' FH and diabetes distress.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This was a multisite randomized controlled trial. We enrolled 197 families and randomized 183 to either REDCHiP or ATTN. Both REDCHiP and ATTN parents completed 10 video-based telehealth sessions. Our primary outcome was changes in parental FH; secondary outcomes included changes in parental diabetes distress and children's glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). We used a series of mixed-effects models and logistic regression to evaluate treatment effects.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Parents in REDCHiP and ATTN attended >95% of sessions with high treatment fidelity. FH and diabetes distress decreased significantly over time in both REDCHiP and ATTN. Treatment-slope effects slightly favored REDCHiP but were not statistically significant for FH (P=.09) or distress (P=.06). However, parents receiving REDCHiP were significantly less likely to report clinically elevated diabetes distress over time compared to ATTN (P=.02). Child HbA1c showed a small, nonsignificant reduction over time (P=.06). Parents with elevated depressive symptoms consistently reported higher FH and distress across all time points.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>REDCHiP demonstrated high feasibility, acceptability, and potential clinical relevance in reducing diabetes distress among parents of young children with T1D. While overall treatment effects were modest, use of an attention control condition represents a meaningful advancement in trial rigor for pediatric behavioral interventions. Future adaptations of REDCHiP may enhance its impact, particularly for parents experiencing comorbid depressive symptoms.</p>","PeriodicalId":36223,"journal":{"name":"JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting","volume":"9 ","pages":"e86616"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13131832/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147821755","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effectiveness of Different Virtual Reality Technologies for Social and Communication Skills in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Current Evidence and Future Directions.","authors":"Lin Wang, Guangjun Xu, Dan Li, Xiuyan Gao, Jin Zhao, Yajun He, Shaolong Liu, Hong Guo, Xiumei Bu","doi":"10.2196/82814","DOIUrl":"10.2196/82814","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Virtual reality (VR) technology offers a new approach for the intervention of social communication skills in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the comparative effects of different forms of VR technology remain unclear.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aims to conduct a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) based on existing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to initially explore and compare the effects of different VR technologies on improving the social and communication skills of children with ASD.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We systematically searched relevant RCTs in both Chinese and English databases from January 1990 to February 2025. The quality of the literature was evaluated using the revised Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool (RoB-2), and an NMA was conducted under the frequentist framework using STATA 18.0 software. The quality of evidence was assessed using the Confidence in Network Meta-Analysis framework.</p><p><strong>Unlabelled: </strong>A total of 11 RCTs (718 children) were included, evaluating 8 VR technologies. The evidence network was extremely sparse, with most interventions connected by single studies. Pairwise meta-analysis revealed overwhelming heterogeneity (I²=91.9%, P<.001), indicating profound clinical and methodological diversity. Due to this heterogeneity and the sparse network, the NMA model failed to produce stable or clinically interpretable effect estimates. Formal assessment using the Confidence in Network Meta-Analysis framework rated the confidence in all comparisons as very low.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The existing evidence is insufficient to support any comparative efficacy conclusions or rankings among VR technologies for ASD social skills. The key finding is the demonstration that current evidence is too heterogeneous and immature for valid quantitative synthesis. Future research must prioritize methodological standardization before head-to-head trials can be meaningfully conducted.</p>","PeriodicalId":36223,"journal":{"name":"JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting","volume":"9 ","pages":"e82814"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13132534/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147821748","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinician Perspectives on Commonly Used Online Sexual and Reproductive Health Resources for Adolescents: Qualitative Analysis.","authors":"Cambray Smith, Sarah Rebbeor, Elizabeth Pleasants, Leah Frerichs, Bianca A Allison","doi":"10.2196/89643","DOIUrl":"10.2196/89643","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Unlabelled: </strong>In this interview study with 24 adolescent-serving clinicians, participants described current online sexual and reproductive health resources they share with adolescents and highlighted areas of improvement to better meet the developmental needs of this age group.</p>","PeriodicalId":36223,"journal":{"name":"JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting","volume":"9 ","pages":"e89643"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13105424/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147783853","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An Innovative Approach to Enhanced Care Management for High-Need Pediatric Medicaid Members: Retrospective Cohort Study.","authors":"Jessie L Juusola, Shefali Kumar, Meghana S Iragavarapu, Luke Mueller, Neil Batlivala, Michael K Ong, Andrey Ostrovsky, Nathan Favini","doi":"10.2196/88204","DOIUrl":"10.2196/88204","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) initiative supports Enhanced Care Management (ECM) for high-need pediatric populations but published evidence of the impact of ECM in pediatric populations is lacking.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>We evaluated a novel multidisciplinary care model (Pair Team) for delivering ECM services, focusing on implementation and early outcomes for children and adolescents enrolled in California's Medicaid program (Medi-Cal).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a retrospective, observational cohort study of Medi-Cal-enrolled children and adolescents who enrolled in Pair Team's program between July 2022 and November 2024. Program engagement, health care engagement, and depressive symptoms were assessed using program data, electronic health records, and prescription data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The main cohort included 1294 enrollees with 12 months of follow-up data (mean age 8.9 years, 50.3% (651/1294) female, 81.8% (1058/1294) experiencing homelessness). Members averaged 2.8 interactions per month with care team members over the first 3 months and 57.1% (851/1491) were still enrolled at 12 months. In the year prior to enrollment compared to the year postenrollment, the prevalence of an asthma diagnosis increased from 7.8% to 10.0% (P=.005), outpatient visits increased 7% (rate ratio, RR=1.07, P<.001), emergency department visits decreased 9% (RR=0.91, P=.002), and antibiotic prescriptions increased 41% (RR=1.41, P=.001). For those with depressive symptoms at enrollment, mean PHQ-9 score decreased from 15.4 (SD 4.7) to 10.2 (SD 6.8) after 3 months (P<.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>An innovative ECM program successfully engaged with and retained high-need pediatric Medicaid patients. Program members had higher engagement with other health care in the year following enrollment, and depressive symptoms improved. These results highlight the potential for this model to improve outcomes for the highest-need pediatric Medicaid patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":36223,"journal":{"name":"JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting","volume":"9 ","pages":"e88204"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13102055/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147783763","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing Caregiver Comfort with Linking the Healthcare System and WIC.","authors":"K Alexander Soltany, Kristina H Lewis, Beatriz Ospino-Sanchez, Angelina Pack, Kimberly Montez","doi":"10.2196/89731","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2196/89731","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Unstructured: </strong>Article Summary: This study assessed families' comfort levels with information-sharing between healthcare providers and WIC using a survey-based approach.</p>","PeriodicalId":36223,"journal":{"name":"JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147783888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Motivational Drivers for Teachers as Informal Health Educators to Initiate In-Class Discussions With Adolescents About Smoking: Moderated Mediation Study Using Attribution Theory.","authors":"Anna Joy Russ, Anna Bullo, Peter J Schulz","doi":"10.2196/81959","DOIUrl":"10.2196/81959","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Teachers have the potential to be influential figures in school-based health promotion as informal caregivers; yet little is known about what motivates them to initiate preventive conversations with students. Attribution theory offers a useful framework to explore how perceptions of responsibility shape communicative behavior, but it has rarely been applied in the context of teacher-student interactions around health risks such as smoking.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study applies the attribution theory to explore the motivational drivers that lead teachers to initiate discussions with adolescents about smoking.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data were collected from 101 middle schools in the Canton of Ticino, Switzerland, as part of a larger longitudinal study. The analysis focuses on 67 teachers who participated in the first wave. Responsibility attribution, concern, and previous classroom sanctions were examined in association with teachers' communication.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Results from a moderated mediation model showed that teachers who attributed greater responsibility to the school (internal attribution) reported higher levels of concern (β=-0.41; P=.002) and engaged in more frequent in-class discussions on smoking (β=-0.26; P=.02). Although concern alone was not directly related to communication (β=-0.14; P=.22), its effect was significantly moderated by contextual sanctions (β=1.01; P<.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings highlight the motivational and contextual factors that shape teachers' communication with students on smoking behavior. By applying attribution theory in the novel context of health communication, this research contributes to understanding how perceived responsibility influences preventive communication in schools.</p>","PeriodicalId":36223,"journal":{"name":"JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting","volume":"9 ","pages":"e81959"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13135160/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147718060","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Questionnaires used to explore the perspectives of parents and health professionals on young children's use of technology: A systematic review.","authors":"Charlotte Lund Rasmussen, Ivan Pui Hung Au, Danica Hendry, Amber Beynon, Sarah Stearne, George Thomas, Kate Mannell, Lisa Kervin, Susan Edwards, Courtenay Harris, Leon Straker, Juliana Zabatiero","doi":"10.2196/84712","DOIUrl":"10.2196/84712","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Technology is integrated into many children's daily lives, with parents' and health professionals' perspectives shaping children's technology use. Measuring and understanding these perspectives is essential for developing strategies for supporting adults in decision-making that help children thrive in a digital world.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This systematic review aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of questionnaires used to assess parents' and health professionals' perspectives on young children's use of technology related to health, wellbeing, and development. The secondary aim was to synthesize findings on these perspectives.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Peer-reviewed articles published between January 2010 and September 2024 were identified through searches in seven electronic databases. Studies were included if they examined parental or healthcare professionals' perspectives on technology use among children aged birth-5 years. Two reviewers independently conducted the data extraction and study quality assessment. Reported psychometric properties of the questionnaires were synthesised. Deductive thematic analysis was utilised to explore the content focus of the questionnaire used in the included studies and synthesise the reported perspectives.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Eighty-five studies were included, all involving parents. No study investigated health professionals' perspectives. The methodological quality of the studies was generally low with 62 studies scoring below the threshold for acceptable quality. Fifty-two studies reported psychometric properties of the questionnaires used of which only 15 studies reported more than one measure of validity or reliability. Seventy-five studies reported participants' perspectives on children's technology use. Findings revealed that parents generally supported the role of digital devices in enhancing learning but expressed concerns about potential negative impacts on children's physical health, emotions, and behaviours.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Parents' perspectives on children's technology use were frequently assessed through questionnaires, though the validity of these questionnaires was often poor, with limited psychometric testing. Parental perspectives were mixed with educational benefits being recognised, while countered with concerns about the impact on children's physical health and development. High-quality questionnaires are needed to generate stronger evidence informing strategies to support families in technology use decision-making with and for children.</p><p><strong>Clinicaltrial: </strong></p>","PeriodicalId":36223,"journal":{"name":"JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147730258","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Family Engagement in a Digital Intervention Targeting Risk for Anxiety in Parent-Child Dyads: Mixed Methods Study.","authors":"Isaac A Mirzadegan, Ericka M Lewis, Sally L Cole, Alexandria M Meyer","doi":"10.2196/79898","DOIUrl":"10.2196/79898","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Digital health programs are increasingly important in the treatment and prevention of mental health problems in young children. However, suboptimal family engagement with a program may hamper its effectiveness. Family engagement in digital mental health programs is multifaceted and poorly understood, with ill-defined relationships among aspects of participation and program outcomes (ie, what constitutes effective engagement). Moreover, little is known about the barriers and facilitators to effectively engaging families at risk for anxiety, who may not be actively seeking treatment.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>Making Mistakes is a novel, internet-based, cognitive behavioral preventive program for caregivers and their 5- to 7-year-old children, which aims to reduce the risk of anxiety by targeting family transmission of perfectionism or error sensitivity-that is, negative overreactivity to mistakes. This mixed methods study examined multiple facets of parent-and-child engagement in Making Mistakes, including adherence, cognitive and affective engagement, barriers, facilitators, and perceived outcomes associated with involvement.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 87 dyads were included in a quantitative analysis of adherence to the program, including overall adherence and sustained engagement. Eighteen dyads completed qualitative interviews, which were subjected to a qualitative thematic analysis. Finally, a sample of Making Mistakes activity journals was qualitatively reviewed and synthesized.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Parent and child adherence were strongly positively correlated (r85=0.95). Dyads had low adherence to the weekly modules, which did not differ by intervention condition. Completion rates averaged 20%, with adherence declining over time. In contrast, qualitative data indicated high levels of investment in program content and topics, elucidated barriers and facilitators to program engagement, and highlighted numerous psychosocial benefits.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Engagement, operationalized as rote adherence to an intervention developer's criteria, may insufficiently capture the aspects of participation that are most meaningfully related to positive outcomes. Researchers and intervention developers should prioritize cognitive and affective aspects of engagement with program content, along with promoting and assessing behavioral engagement beyond adherence to program components. Making Mistakes shows promise as a low-cost, disseminable strategy to reduce intergenerational risk for anxiety. These findings have particular relevance for digital health programs focused on prevention, parent-child dyads, and anxiety and perfectionism.</p>","PeriodicalId":36223,"journal":{"name":"JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting","volume":"9 ","pages":"e79898"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13064961/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147646922","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Brazilian Immigrant Parents' Perspectives on Oral Health in Early Childhood and Suggested Strategies for Education, Access, and Care: Qualitative Study.","authors":"Ana Cristina Lindsay, Denise Lima Nogueira, Steven A Cohen, Mary L Greaney","doi":"10.2196/78835","DOIUrl":"10.2196/78835","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Oral health in early childhood is vital for long-term well-being, yet dental caries is highly prevalent among young children in the United States, especially in low-income and immigrant families. Brazilian immigrants, a rapidly growing Latin American population in the United States, face distinct barriers to oral health care, such as language differences, limited access to care, and a lack of culturally tailored resources. Despite this, Brazilian immigrants are understudied in public health research. Understanding Brazilian immigrant parents' perspectives is essential to advancing oral health equity through culturally responsive strategies.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aims to understand (1) parents' views on the best ways to support their children's oral health, (2) perceived barriers to oral health care, and (3) preferred methods and strategies for addressing barriers and receiving oral health education and care.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This qualitative study usedin-depth, semistructured interviews with Brazilian immigrant parents. Guided by the social ecological model, the data were thematically analyzed to identify multilevel influences on oral health behaviors as well as intervention preferences.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Forty-eight Brazilian immigrant parents (29 mothers and 19 fathers) participated. Most had low acculturation levels and lived in primarily Portuguese-speaking households. Parents stressed the need for early, community-based oral health education in schools and daycares. They preferred visual and digital materials, such as videos, apps, and cartoons in Portuguese to overcome language barriers. Parents spoke of language and cultural challenges, limiting access and reducing confidence in navigating care. Access to affordable dental services was a major concern. Parents supported expanded school-based services and culturally welcoming care. Notably, mothers often focused on home routines and navigating systems, while fathers emphasized community outreach and structural barriers.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Brazilian immigrant parents called for linguistically and culturally tailored oral health programs to be offered in trusted community settings, along with improved dental care access through policy changes and expanded insurance coverage. Multilevel strategies addressing both behavioral and systemic barriers show promise in reducing disparities. Future efforts should prioritize the development and evaluation of scalable, culturally responsive models that meet the needs of Brazilian immigrant families.</p>","PeriodicalId":36223,"journal":{"name":"JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting","volume":"9 ","pages":"e78835"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13055948/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147634591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}