Parental Expectations on Pediatric Care for Children

Author

Brenan CashFollow

Date of Graduation

5-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Animal Science

Advisor/Mentor

Jacquelyn Mosley

Committee Member

Donia Timbey

Second Committee Member

Laura Herold

Abstract

Childhood pediatrics is a major factor for a full and healthy childhood for all children from adolescence to adulthood. However, the physical health aspect has been the main focus through most primary care clinics and hardly focuses on the mental health side. Mental health issues which involve anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress are more prominent than they have ever been, as up to 30% of children have experienced mental health issues such as posttraumatic stress disorder, especially in recent pandemic years (Meherali et al., 2021). This study employed a non-experimental, quantitative analysis utilizing online close-ended survey questions. The type of survey chosen for this study was an anonymous, self-reporting survey due to the nature of the questions being asked about their children’s healthcare. Compared to previous studies, this study found that parents believe that their pediatricians can make accurate evaluations related to health concerns for children, but are skeptical of evaluations in other health areas, such as mental health. For example, 42.9% of parents believed their child’s pediatric physician could make an accurate evaluation on their child’s mental health. Through this research, the opportunity has arisen to amplify areas that need improvement in pediatrics. The researcher wanted to make it a goal to understand what parents expect for their children and what type of care they desire to make sure that their children are healthy in every way possible. The researcher was able to obtain results that accurately represented the need for a further understanding of mental health in pediatrics.

Keywords

Pediatrics; Mental Health; Physical Health, Parents; Children; Physicians

Citation

Cash, B. (2025). Parental Expectations on Pediatric Care for Children. Human Development and Family Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/hdfsrsuht/19

Comments

This research was conducted to help understand the parents' perspectives and what they expect when their children are evaluated at a pediatric clinic.