Parental interest in clinic-based computer education about adolescent preventive health

Background: Most adolescent morbidity is preventable. Yet, providers infrequently educate parents about adolescent preventive health. Parents are routinely asked to step out of exam rooms so providers can confidentially assess adolescents' risk behaviors and provide adolescents with targeted counseling. This time could be used to give parents targeted preventive health information delivered via computers. Objective: To explore parents of adolescents' interest in computer-based education about adolescent preventive health. Methods: Between June-November 2009, we conducted an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire with parents of adolescents aged 11-18 attending outpatient pediatric and adolescent medicine clinics at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. We examined parental internet access, internet use, and interest in computer-based education about adolescent preventive health. We used logistic regression models to examine predictors of parental interest in computer-based education. Results: Of the 358 participants, most (90%) were female and either African American (62%) or white (34%). Few parents (8%) had never used the internet. Most had internet access at home (70%) and used the internet daily (51%) or several times per week (21%). Most parents (66%) would use computers available in clinics to learn about adolescent preventive health. Non-blacks and more educated parents were less likely to be willing to use a clinic-based computer for this purpose (44% and 74% respectively). Conclusion: Parents of adolescents attending our university-based pediatric clinics were experienced using the internet and interested in clinic-based computer education about adolescent preventive health. Interventions may need to be tailored to reach parents of different ethnic and educational backgrounds.