Diversity in Child Health Clinics: User and Provider Perspectives

Abstract Background The study inquiries about the relationship between equitable family health care delivery with an increasingly diverse population. Child health clinics, primarily staffed by public health nurses, offer universal health promotive and disease preventive services to all families with children aged 0 - 5. This study delves into how the health care professionals adapt and use the services to meet the needs of the families, and how a diverse population experiences the services. Aims and objectives The aim is to obtain insights into the well-established and highly regarded framework of Child health clinics and how a diverse population access and engage with the public health nurses. Recognizing the previous limited research in this area, this investigation is essential for ensuring equitable health services for all families with children. Setting and methods The research is qualitative with individual interviews with users; parents of children 0 - 5 years old at Child health clinics and focus group interviews with providers; public health nurses. The setting is in Oslo and surrounding municipalities. The data collection will continue throughout 2025. Preliminary results Preliminary findings indicate a broad interpretation of diversity, with a focus on parental choices rather than primarily on cultural and ethnic diversity. The early findings also indicate that parents aspire to be perceived as competent and accomplished in their caregiving roles, actively seeking validation while simultaneously negotiating the complexities of sharing or not sharing information with public health nurses. Early findings also highlight the perceived importance of relational competence over strict professionalism. Key messages • Although Child health clinics are framed to deliver equal services in a diverse population, how parents navigate information-sharing processes can result in inequality of service. • The framework of the clinics may enforce expectations that pressure parents to normative models of parenting, a dynamic that does not align with the inclusive intention of the public health nurse.