Assessing the Implementation and Awareness of Children’s Rights in Pediatric Hospital: A Comparative Study of Parents’ and Children’s Perspectives
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Participants and Methods
2.2. Demographic Characteristics
2.3. The Knowledge of Implementation and Awareness of Children’s Rights Scale
2.4. Ethics Approval of Research
2.5. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
4. Discussion
4.1. Right to Access Information
4.2. Right to Participation
4.3. Parental and Family Support
4.4. Non-Discrimination
4.5. Right to Privacy
5. Limitations
6. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
UNCRC | United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child |
Appendix A
Knowledge of Implementation and Awareness of Children’s Rights Scale The following questionnaire was developed to assess the knowledge and implementation of children’s rights in hospitals. |
Right to Access Information |
Does the hospital have a printed list of the child’s rights in the clinics? |
☐ Yes |
☐ No |
☐ Sometimes |
☐ I don’t know |
Does the hospital staff explain to the child and parents the course of the health condition, treatments, or side effects of medications? |
☐ Yes |
☐ No |
☐ I don’t know |
Does the hospital staff use language or words that are understandable to you? |
☐ Yes |
☐ No |
☐ I don’t know |
Right to Participation |
Does the hospital staff encourage the child to ask questions about his or her health condition? |
☐ Yes |
☐ No |
☐ I don’t know |
Are children given the opportunity to express their opinions about their treatment? |
☐ Yes |
☐ No |
☐ Sometimes |
☐ I don’t know |
Are children included in decisions regarding their care? |
☐ Yes |
☐ No |
☐ Sometimes |
☐ I don’t know |
Right to Privacy |
Does the hospital staff use curtains for privacy during examinations in rooms with more than one bed? |
☐ Yes |
☐ No |
☐ Sometimes |
There was no other child in the room |
Is information regarding the child’s health status kept confidential? |
☐ Yes |
☐ No |
☐ Sometimes |
☐ I don’t know |
Right to Non-Discrimination |
Does the hospital staff allocate children to rooms according to age and gender? |
☐ Yes |
☐ No |
☐ Sometimes |
Is there gender respect in double rooms or rooms with more than two beds? |
☐ Yes |
☐ No |
☐ Sometimes |
☐ I don’t know |
Are children with disabilities provided with appropriate accommodations? |
☐ Yes |
☐ No |
☐ Sometimes |
☐ I don’t know |
Right to Play and Recreation |
Are there adequate spaces for children’s play, education, and entertainment? |
☐ Yes |
☐ No |
☐ Sometimes |
Are hospitalized children given the opportunity to participate in educational activities? |
☐ Yes |
☐ No |
☐ Sometimes |
☐ I don’t know |
Does the hospital provide emotional support programs for children during hospitalization? |
☐ Yes |
☐ No |
☐ Sometimes |
☐ I don’t know |
Parental and Family Support |
Is there enough time to develop a relationship between children/parents and healthcare workers? |
☐ Yes |
☐ No |
☐ Sometimes |
☐ I don’t know |
Are parents allowed to stay with their child at any time except when it is not in their child’s best interests? |
☐ Yes |
☐ No |
☐ Sometimes |
☐ I don’t know |
Does the hospital provide facilities for parents to stay overnight with their child? |
☐ Yes |
☐ No |
☐ Sometimes |
☐ I don’t know |
Right to Protection from Harm |
Is the hospital environment safe and adapted to children’s needs? |
☐ Yes |
☐ No |
☐ Sometimes |
Are children protected from unnecessary medical procedures or treatments? |
☐ Yes |
☐ No |
☐ Sometimes |
☐ I don’t know |
Does the hospital staff receive training on children’s rights and child-friendly healthcare practices? |
☐ Yes |
☐ No |
☐ Sometimes |
☐ I don’t know |
References
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Demographic Characteristics | Parents n (%) | Children n (%) |
---|---|---|
Gender Males (%) | 64 (25.5) | 73 (48.6) |
Females (%)/ | 186 (74.5) | 77 (51.4) |
Age (years) * | 42.2 ± 6.5 | 10.5 ± 4.5 |
Marital status | ||
Married | 207 (82.6) | - - |
Single/Divorced | 44 (17.4) | |
Level of education | ||
Secondary education | 28 (11.3) | |
Tertiary education | 142 (56.6) | |
Master’s/PhD | 78 (31) |
Domain | Description |
---|---|
Right to Access Information | Assesses awareness and provision of information to children and families regarding their rights and medical care. |
Right to Participation | Evaluates respect for children’s involvement in decision-making processes about their healthcare. |
Right to Privacy | Ensures practices that protect children’s privacy during medical procedures and hospitalization. |
Right to Non-Discrimination | Examines equitable treatment of children irrespective of age, gender, or background. |
Right to Play and Recreation | Investigates access to recreational activities and spaces that promote emotional well-being. |
Parental and Family Support | Assesses the accommodation of family-centered care practices, including parental presence and support. |
Questions | Parents (n = 250) | Children (n = 150) | Statistical Test | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
N | % | N | % | ||
Does the hospital have a printed list of the child’s rights in the clinics? | X2: 12.79 p = 0.005 | ||||
Yes | 5 | 1.9 | 4 | 2.9 | |
No | 41 | 16.7 | 41 | 25.7 | |
In some clinics | 14 | 5.6 | - | - | |
I don’t know | 190 | 75.8 | 108 | 71.4 | |
Does the hospital staff use language or words that are understandable to you? | X2: 12.39 p = 0.02 | ||||
Yes | 208 | 83.3 | 141 | 94.3 | |
No | 14 | 5.6 | - | - | |
I don’t know | 28 | 11.1 | 9 | 5.7 | |
Does the hospital staff encourage the child to ask questions about his or her health condition? | X2: 8.3 p = 0.01 | ||||
Yes | 180 | 72.2 | 116 | 77.1 | |
No | 46 | 18.5 | 13 | 8.6 | |
I don’t know | 24 | 9.3 | 21 | 14.3 | |
Does the hospital staff explain to the child and parents the course of the health condition, or treatments or side effects of medications? | X2: 51.9 p = 0.001 | ||||
Yes | 227 | 90.7 | 93 | 61.9 | |
No | 14 | 5.6 | 21 | 14.3 | |
I don’t know | 9 | 3.7 | 36 | 23.8 | |
Is there enough time to develop a relationship between children/parents and health care workers? | X2: 31.4 p = 0.05 | ||||
Yes | 97 | 38.9 | 98 | 63.6 | |
No | 51 | 20.4 | 20 | 13.5 | |
Some times | 88 | 35.2 | 32 | 22.9 | |
I don’t know | 14 | 5.5 | - | - | |
Does the hospital staff allocate children to rooms according to age and gender? | X2: 55.2 p = 6.1 | ||||
Yes | 42 | 16.7 | 39 | 25.7 | |
No | 88 | 35.2 | 51 | 34.3 | |
Some times | 46 | 18.5 | 47 | 31.4 | |
I don’t know | 74 | 29.3 | 13 | 8.6 | |
Is there gender respect in double rooms or rooms with more than 2 beds? | X2: 70.9 p = 2.1 | ||||
Yes | 120 | 48.1 | 31 | 27.3 | |
No | 46 | 18.5 | 91 | 60.6 | |
Some times | 28 | 11.1 | 28 | 21.1 | |
I don’t know | 56 | 22.2 | - | - | |
Are parents allowed to stay with their child at any time except when it is not in their child’s best interests? | X2: 5 p = 0.1 | ||||
Yes | 203 | 81.5 | 132 | 88.6 | |
No | 19 | 7.4 | 9 | 5.7 | |
Some times | 23 | 9.3 | 9 | 5.7 | |
I don’t know | 5 | 1.9 | - | - | |
Does the hospital staff during the examination in rooms with more than one bed use curtains for privacy? | X2: 9 p = 0.02 | ||||
Yes | 153 | 61.1 | 85 | 57.1 | |
No | 46 | 18.5 | 43 | 28.6 | |
Some times | 32 | 13 | 9 | 5.7 | |
There was no other child in the room | 19 | 7.4 | 13 | 8.6 | |
Are there adequate spaces for children’s play, education and entertainment? | X2: 82.2 p = 0.1 | ||||
Yes | 56 | 22.2 | 17 | 11.4 | |
No | 92 | 37 | 64 | 42.9 | |
Some times | 18 | 5.6 | 56 | 37.1 | |
I don’t know | 84 | 32.2 | 13 | 8.6 |
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Georgousopoulou, V.; Dafogianni, C.; Vlotinou, P.; Serdari, A.; Koutelekos, I.; Tsiakiri, A.; Cassimos, D.; Lavdaniti, M.; Amanatidou, M.; Manomenidis, G. Assessing the Implementation and Awareness of Children’s Rights in Pediatric Hospital: A Comparative Study of Parents’ and Children’s Perspectives. Pediatr. Rep. 2025, 17, 64. https://doi.org/10.3390/pediatric17030064
Georgousopoulou V, Dafogianni C, Vlotinou P, Serdari A, Koutelekos I, Tsiakiri A, Cassimos D, Lavdaniti M, Amanatidou M, Manomenidis G. Assessing the Implementation and Awareness of Children’s Rights in Pediatric Hospital: A Comparative Study of Parents’ and Children’s Perspectives. Pediatric Reports. 2025; 17(3):64. https://doi.org/10.3390/pediatric17030064
Chicago/Turabian StyleGeorgousopoulou, Vasiliki, Chrysoula Dafogianni, Pinelopi Vlotinou, Aspasia Serdari, Ioannis Koutelekos, Anna Tsiakiri, Dimitrios Cassimos, Maria Lavdaniti, Maria Amanatidou, and Georgios Manomenidis. 2025. "Assessing the Implementation and Awareness of Children’s Rights in Pediatric Hospital: A Comparative Study of Parents’ and Children’s Perspectives" Pediatric Reports 17, no. 3: 64. https://doi.org/10.3390/pediatric17030064
APA StyleGeorgousopoulou, V., Dafogianni, C., Vlotinou, P., Serdari, A., Koutelekos, I., Tsiakiri, A., Cassimos, D., Lavdaniti, M., Amanatidou, M., & Manomenidis, G. (2025). Assessing the Implementation and Awareness of Children’s Rights in Pediatric Hospital: A Comparative Study of Parents’ and Children’s Perspectives. Pediatric Reports, 17(3), 64. https://doi.org/10.3390/pediatric17030064