Factors Influencing Early Childhood Health Care Behaviors of Parents and Guardians During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): the Situation of Parents in a Province in Southern Thailand

Abstract

This descriptive research study aimed to examine the factors Influencing early childhood health care behaviors of parents and guardians during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic situation in Yala province in Southern Thailand. The participants were 116 parents  and guardians who brought their children to the Children's Health Clinic at the Health Promoting Hospital of the twelfth Health Center in Yala province were recruited using convenience sampling. Data were collected between February and May 2021. The study questionnaires included the 1) general information data record, 2) factors in early childhood health care, and 3) early childhood health promotion behaviors of parents questionnaires. The reliability of the second and third research tools based on Cronbach’s alpha co-efficient were 0.71 and 0;73, respectively. Data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, and Multiple Regressions.

            The results showed that parents had high levels of early childhood health care behaviors (3.24, S.D. = 0.82), as well as high level had average scores for predisposing factors, enabling factors, reinforcing factors and anxiety. Reinforcing factors (M = 4.08, SD = 0.44) had the highest average score, closely followed by enabling factors (M = 3.95, S.D. = 0.53). Based on the multiple regression test, attitude was a factor that influenced early childhood health care behaviors of parents and guardians in Yala Province during the situation of the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic (R = .261). Therefore, parents and guardians should be encouraged to have positive attitudes, which will result in them exhibiting good health care behaviors for their children who are in early childhood.