Developing Personas to Improve Emotional Care for Young Children Aged 3-6 and Their Parents: A Mixed Methods Approach

Recent advancements in research techniques have led to the integration of more comprehensive information from mixed methods of persona development.This study used a user-centered design approach to investigate the emotional support provided to children aged 3-6 during medical visits, which involved quantitative and qualitative methods, including questionnaires and in-depth interviews with the primary caregivers of children in this age group.The questionnaire was structured around four main aspects: (1) basic information; (2) reasons for the children's medical visits and parents' anxiety levels; (3) methods and cognitions in caring for the children's illness; and (4) approaches and cognitions regarding caring for the children's psychological and emotional states.One hundred fourteen valid questionnaire responses were collected, and in-depth interviews were conducted with eight pairs of 3-6-year-old children and their primary caregivers, to understand (1) common illnesses of the child, (2) the methods of handling these illnesses, (3) the medical consultation process and common issues encountered, and (4) the child's personal preferences.The results show that over 75% of the participants are raising more than two children.The common reasons for children's medical visits include preventive healthcare, respiratory diseases, vaccinations, and fever.When children fall ill, parents often experience anxiety, tension, and emotional agitation.When seeking medical assistance, the top two priorities for most parents are alleviating their children's symptoms and understanding the causes of illness.Although more than 60% of parents believe recording their children's conditions and symptoms is essential, less than 30% habitually record their children's health conditions.For medical care, the majority of parents prefer pediatric clinics.Three personas representing typical parent-child interactions during children's illnesses were developed: (1) vaccinations, (2) fever with febrile convulsions, and (3) injuries from falls.The critical aspects of emotional care for children include providing reassurance and guidance, acknowledging their emotions, using comforting tools to distract them when necessary, and delivering regular health education.