Mothers’ Self-Reported Experiences of the Importance of Child Care Cards: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Background: Assessing health indicators in each country provides insights into maternal well-being as well as child healthcare and survival. Research indicates that many mothers do not pay sufficient attention to the registered care information on the vaccination card. Enhancing mothers’ awareness of the importance of care card objectives, particularly regarding vaccination, may lead to healthier children in the future. In this regard, understanding mothers’ perspectives is crucial to effectively identify obstacles and address the existing challenges. Accordingly, the present study aimed to explore mothers’ self-reported experiences of the importance of child care cards. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted using conventional content analysis. Participants included 41 mothers who visited children’s hospitals. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Following approval from the university’s ethics committee, researchers conducted interviews in selected hospitals. All interviews were recorded and transcribed. Data were coded and analyzed using content analysis. Results: After summarizing and coding participants’ responses, four main themes and nine secondary themes were identified, highlighting mothers’ views on the importance of child care cards. The main themes included lack of awareness, inappropriate conditions for keeping child care cards, problems related to health centers, and recording all information in the integrated health system. Conclusion: Educating parents and the general public can significantly raise awareness regarding child care. Therefore, it is necessary for health service providers and health liaisons to participate in health education courses.