Child health interventions delivered by lay health workers to parents: A realist review

Young, Mairi; Ross, Alastair; Sheriff, Andrea; Deas, Leigh; Gnich, Wendy

doi:10.1177/1367493520983124

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…40% ( n = 37) of the realist reviews cited use of an advisory group at some stage (as per the working definition for this study, notably other terminology was often reported) [14–17, 25–61]. 60% ( n = 56) did not mention the use of an advisory group [62–117]. Of those that did not mention an advisory group, seven reviews [62–64] did report participant involvement that did not fulfill the criteria of an advisory group, i.e., participants were used as data sources but did not advise on the review.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advisory groups in realist reviews: Systematically mapping current research and recommendations for practice

Power,

Dada,

Booth

et al. 2024

Cochrane Evidence Synthesis and Methods

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IntroductionRealist reviews may involve groups or panels external to the research team who provide external and independent perspectives informing the review based on their experience of the topic area. These panels or groups are termed in this study as an “advisory group.” This study aims to map current practice of advisory groups in realist reviews and provide guidance for planning and reporting.MethodsA “best‐fit” framework synthesis methodology was used by first searching for a best‐fit framework and then conducting a systematic search to identify a sample of realist reviews and rapid realist reviews (RRRs) from the most recent year, 2021. Nine databases were searched: CINAHL Complete, Cochrane, Embase, ERIC, MEDLINE, PsycInfo, Social Services Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, and Web of Science Core Collection. Screening and data extraction was conducted by two researchers. The chosen best‐fit framework (ACTIVE framework) informed the data extraction tool.ResultsOne hundred and seven reviews (93 realist reviews, 14 RRRs) were identified for inclusion. Of these, 40% (n = 37) of realist reviews and 71.5% (n = 10) of RRRs mentioned use of an advisory group, though there was considerable variation in terminology used. Individuals in advisory groups were involved at varying stages of the review and tended to bring experience in the topic area from the perspective of (i) a lived experience, i.e., patients, carers, family members (n = 15 realist reviews; n = 4 RRRs); (ii) professional experience, such as healthcare professionals (n = 20 realist reviews; n = 6 RRRs); or (iii) policy or research experience in the topic area (n = 19 realist reviews; n = 7 RRRs).ConclusionsThis study proposes a definition of advisory groups, considerations for advisory group use, and suggested items for reporting. The purpose of the advisory group should be carefully considered when deciding on their use in a realist review.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advisory groups in realist reviews: Systematically mapping current research and recommendations for practice

Power,

Dada,

Booth

et al. 2024

Cochrane Evidence Synthesis and Methods

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“…The improvement in playtime between parents and children may be attributed to the volunteer-based nature of FCD as opposed to a standard service offered by, e.g., a municipality. A realist review of lay health worker interventions in the UK found that parents perceive laypersons as peers, which can foster positive engagement and establish trust, ultimately empowering parents to enhance their parenting skills over time [ 56 ]. However, the reasons behind FCD parents reporting that their children face greater challenges in forming friendships compared to control group parents remain unclear.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Family Club Denmark: A Quasi-Randomized Study of a Volunteer-Based Intervention to Support Vulnerable Families

Pontoppidan,

Thorsager,

Larsen

et al. 2024

Healthcare

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Volunteer interventions play a vital role in supporting families by offering accessible and community-based resources outside the formal professional sector. This study examines the impact of the volunteer intervention known as Family Club Denmark (FCD) on the well-being of parents and children. FCD aims to provide families with positive experiences and support relationship building. The intervention, open to families from diverse social backgrounds, comprises volunteer-led family clubs where parents and children aged 2–12 years engage in activities and meals. We allocated 510 families (363 vulnerable families) to FCD or placed them on a waiting list based on a first-come, first-served principle. We conducted baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up assessments through questionnaires, observations, and interviews. On average, families participated in 5.8 sessions, with both families and volunteers reporting high satisfaction. When compared to control families, we find that vulnerable FCD parents feel more confident playing with their children (p = 0.04, [0.01; 0.40], d = 0.25), require less assistance in playing with their children (p = 0.01, [−0.34; −0.05], d = 0.33), and report that their children have a more challenging time forming friendships (p = 0.01, [−0.51; −0.09], d = 0.29). However, we did not find significant effects on mental health, parenting stress, self-efficacy, self-worth, family routines, or child well-being. We observed similar results for the full sample. The discovery that parents feel more confident playing with their children after participating in FCD highlights the vital role of volunteer-based interventions in enhancing parental engagement and fostering positive parent–child interactions. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03657888 (registered 29 August 2018).

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“…Similar rigorous appraisal of evidence continues to feed into programme theory for the community visits. Young et al 24 conducted a realist review to determine how, why and in what context UK‐based lay health worker interventions are effective in improving child health parenting behaviours, and a parallel systematic review focused on how to ‘tailor’ interventions to family need 25 …”

Section: Embedded Research and Evaluationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similar rigorous appraisal of evidence continues to feed into programme theory for the community visits. Young et al 24…”

Section: Evidence Reviews and Updatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating childsmile, Scotland's National Oral Health Improvement Programme for children

Ross

Sherriff

Kidd

et al. 2023

Comm Dent Oral Epid

Self Cite

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In the early 2000s, a Scottish Government Oral Health Action Plan identified the need for a national programme to improve child oral health and reduce inequalities. ‘Childsmile’ aimed to improve child oral health in Scotland, reduce inequalities in outcomes and access to dental services, and to shift the balance of care from treatment to prevention through targeted and universal components in dental practice, community and educational settings. This paper describes how an embedded, theory‐based research and evaluation arm with multi‐disciplinary input helps determine priorities and provides important strategic direction. Programme theory is articulated in dedicated, dynamic logic models, and evaluation themes are as follows: population‐level data linkage; trials and economic evaluations; investigations drawing from behavioural and implementation science; evidence reviews and updates; and applications of systems science. There is also a growing knowledge sharing network internationally. Collaborative working from all stakeholders is necessary to maintain gains and to address areas that may not be working as well, and never more so with the major disruptions to the programme from the COVID‐19 pandemic and response. Conclusions are that evaluation and research are synergistic with a complex, dynamic programme like Childsmile. The evidence obtained allows for appraisal of the relative strengths of component interventions and the reach and impact of Childsmile to feed into national policy.

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Child health interventions delivered by lay health workers to parents: A realist review

Cited by 4 publications

References 65 publications

Advisory groups in realist reviews: Systematically mapping current research and recommendations for practice

Advisory groups in realist reviews: Systematically mapping current research and recommendations for practice

Family Club Denmark: A Quasi-Randomized Study of a Volunteer-Based Intervention to Support Vulnerable Families

Evaluating childsmile, Scotland's National Oral Health Improvement Programme for children

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