Neuvola tänään ja huomenna : vanhemmuuden tukeminen, perhekeskeisyys ja vertaistuki

Abstract

Neuvola on merkittävä vanhemmuuden tukija, koska se tavoittaa kaikki vanhemmat lapsen odotuksen aikana sekä lapset ikäkausittain. Suomalainen äitiys- ja lastenneuvola on vuosikymmenien ajan rakentanut äitien ja lasten hyvinvointia. Mutta vastaako neuvola ajankohtaisiin haasteisiin? Tuetaanko vanhemmuutta ja perheitä riittävästi, miten saada isät mukaan?- Nykyvanhemmat haluavat oman terveydenhoitajan, jolloin sama työntekijä voi jatkaa perhekeskeistä työtä äitiysneuvolasta lastenneuvolaan siirryttäessä. He haluavat enemmän vanhemmuuden tukemista mutta ovat samalla tyytyväisiä neuvolan lapsikeskeisyyteen. Vertaistuen ja neuvolan kotikäyntien suhteen kanta on empivämpi. Noin kolmasosa vanhemmista odotti kotikäyntejä ja vertaistukea erittäin tai melko paljon, kolmasosa melko vähän tai ei lainkaan. Tässä on vanhempien eväitä koko perheen hyvinvointineuvolan kehittämiseen, Viljamaa tiivistää

The aim of the study was, first, to analyse parental satisfaction with welfare clinic services (empowerment); second, to investigate the use of family-centered and peer group facilities/services; and third, to examine what kind of social support and discussion of the developmental tasks of parenthood featured among parental expectations. In addition, the interrelations between satisfaction, use, and expectations as well as parental backgrounds were explored in different developmental stages of parenthood (expecting and taking care of the first child, expecting and taking care of the second, third etc. child). The theoretical frame was based on the ecological model (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). The study was conducted among clients of child and maternity welfare clinics in Jyväskylä. Parents received anonymous questionnaires to be filled in at home (separately by the fathers and the mothers). The sample size was 506 (175 males and 331 females). The results showed that in general the parents were satisfied with the service provided by the clinics; especially in the manner of working of the public health nurses and in the clinics? trust-inspiring atmosphere. The main source of dissatisfaction was the degree of opportunity to choose or change the nurse or the physician. Compared to fathers, mothers were more satisfied with the clinics? services, expecting more facilities/services, and wishing to engage in developmental tasks at the clinics. The less educated were more satisfied and hoped for more social support and opportunities to discuss parenthood. The more educated mothers hoped for more peer group support and opportunities to discuss the parent-child relationship. Child-centeredness was emphasized: the parents were satisfied with the support for the child's health and development; this service was among the most expected at all stages of parenthood.The parents also wanted to talk over the parent-child relationship more than other areas of parenthood. Neither the family-centered approach nor peer group support were working well; only 11 % of the maternity clinic clients and 22 % of the child clinic clients had received family-centered services, while 16.5 % had obtained peer group support. The most family-centered stage of parenthood was the first year of life of the first-born child