- Title
- Barriers and facilitators to optimising health promotion and prevention for children’s speech, language, and communication needs in Australia
- Creator
- Graham, Laura Ann
- Relation
- University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 2022
- Description
- Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Description
- Speech, language, and communication needs (SLCN) affect up to 20% of preschool-aged children, impacting literacy, academic achievements, employment, and mental health, and are found along a social gradient (disproportionately affecting disadvantaged children). A public health approach, focusing on health promotion and prevention of children’s SLCN, has been recommended globally by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) as a means of addressing high levels of SLCN, the social gradient, and preventing SLCN and their sequelae. Public health terminology is used inconsistently in the speech-language pathology literature. This program of work begins with an explanation of the public health terminology that has been applied to children’s SLCN and recommendations for its use. A review of the literature examining the SLCN health promotion knowledge, attitudes, and practices of SLPs and other health and education professionals (HEPs: general practitioners, early childhood educators, and maternal, child and family health nurses) revealed a paucity of research, particularly in an Australian context. Subsequently, a sequential mixed-methods design was developed to investigate Australian SLPs’ and other HEPs’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding health promotion and prevention for children’s SLCN. Responses from SLPs (n = 96) indicated high self-rated health promotion knowledge, positive attitudes to health promotion, and a variety of health promotion practices; however, perceived organisational barriers meant most practices were still individual focused. Surveys from HEPs (n = 102) similarly revealed high self-rated knowledge and positive attitudes. Organisational barriers were also perceived to impact HEPs’ frequency of promotion practices, but unlike SLPs, higher self-rated knowledge was associated with more frequent practices promoting children’s communication development. SLPs held similar attitudes towards health promotion and prevention for children’s SLCN as HEPs, yet they did not agree on which professional group was best placed to provide health promotion for children’s SLCN. Interviews with SLPs (n = 7) were conducted to explain the survey results, highlighting that SLPs learned about health promotion through workplace experiences, and structural aspects (e.g., funding, flexibility) had the greatest impact on SLPs’ ability to complete health promotion. These findings emphasise the need for broad, systems change, including governmental and policy support, review of current service delivery and funding, a focus on interprofessional practice, and training to enable SLPs and HEPs to implement health promotion and prevention for children’s SLCN.
- Subject
- speech, language, and communication needs; health promotion; prevention; children
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1475589
- Identifier
- uon:49595
- Rights
- Copyright 2022 Laura Ann Graham
- Language
- eng
- Full Text
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT01 | Thesis | 4 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download | ||
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT02 | Abstract | 298 KB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |