Nomi S Weiss-Laxer1, AliceAnn Crandall2, Lauren Okano3, Anne W Riley4. 1. Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA. Nweissl1@jhu.edu. 2. Department of Public Health, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA. 3. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. 4. Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Families are the most proximal and powerful context for the development, promotion, and disruption of health of individuals across the life course. Despite families' critical role in health, U.S. nationally representative health surveys lack comprehensive and standardized assessments of family health and functioning. METHODS: To foster research on family health in population surveys, we developed a conceptualization of family health using a modified Delphi process with family health experts. Experts responded online to produce consensus definitions of 'family' and 'family health.' Guided by these definitions, they responded to a survey to create a list of concepts for measurement of family health and ranked the importance and measurability of those concepts. RESULTS: We achieved consensus among 15 family health experts on definitions of 'family' and 'family health.' Thirty-one family health concepts were organized into six domains, then ranked by relevance and importance as follows: (1) "Family relationships" and "family social context" tied for first priority, (2) "family member health, (3) "family health-related practices," (4) "family health resources," and (5) "management of time and activities." DISCUSSION: Social relationships and social environment were prioritized as more essential than other aspects of family environments typically assessed in population surveys, such as health practices and family members' illness and disease. This study develops the scientific groundwork needed to advance routine monitoring of family health in national health surveys and in child/family performance measures.
INTRODUCTION: Families are the most proximal and powerful context for the development, promotion, and disruption of health of individuals across the life course. Despite families' critical role in health, U.S. nationally representative health surveys lack comprehensive and standardized assessments of family health and functioning. METHODS: To foster research on family health in population surveys, we developed a conceptualization of family health using a modified Delphi process with family health experts. Experts responded online to produce consensus definitions of 'family' and 'family health.' Guided by these definitions, they responded to a survey to create a list of concepts for measurement of family health and ranked the importance and measurability of those concepts. RESULTS: We achieved consensus among 15 family health experts on definitions of 'family' and 'family health.' Thirty-one family health concepts were organized into six domains, then ranked by relevance and importance as follows: (1) "Family relationships" and "family social context" tied for first priority, (2) "family member health, (3) "family health-related practices," (4) "family health resources," and (5) "management of time and activities." DISCUSSION: Social relationships and social environment were prioritized as more essential than other aspects of family environments typically assessed in population surveys, such as health practices and family members' illness and disease. This study develops the scientific groundwork needed to advance routine monitoring of family health in national health surveys and in child/family performance measures.
Entities:
Keywords:
Delphi expert process; Family health; Measurement; National health surveys
Authors: Rahee Kim; Eliza Olpin; Lynneth Kirsten Novilla; AliceAnn Crandall Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-05-19 Impact factor: 4.614
Authors: Emma M Reese; Melissa Jane Barlow; Maddison Dillon; Sariah Villalon; Michael D Barnes; AliceAnn Crandall Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-05-13 Impact factor: 4.614
Authors: AliceAnn Crandall; Nomi S Weiss-Laxer; Eliza Broadbent; Erin Kramer Holmes; Brianna Michele Magnusson; Lauren Okano; Jerica M Berge; Michael D Barnes; Carl Lee Hanson; Blake L Jones; Len B Novilla Journal: Front Public Health Date: 2020-11-20