Fostering healthy growth and development in the first two years of children’s life: Engaging mothers in the development of health promotion actions

The first two years of a child's life are critical for their long-term physical, mental, and social well-being. During this period, rapid growth and brain development significantly shape a child's cognitive, motor, and socio-emotional skills. However, achieving healthy growth is often complicated by a range of factors, including socioeconomic status, migration background, cultural influences, and community contexts. Consequently, health disparities can begin to emerge early in life. To effectively support early childhood development, it is essential to adopt a holistic approach that considers the broader social and environmental factors at play. Current strategies for promoting healthy growth, particularly in disadvantaged neighboorhoods, have proven inadequate, resulting in widening health inequalities. A key issue is the disconnect between the interventions designed for families and their everyday realities. Research indicates that involving the target group in the development of health interventions can enhance their effectiveness by ensuring alignment with families' actual needs. Participatory Action Research (PAR) offers a promising solution, as it empowers parents to become co-creators of public health strategies, allowing them to address their specific challenges and take ownership of the interventions. Despite its potential, there is limited understanding of how to effectively engage parents in public health research, especially those with young children. The challenges of early parenthood, combined with health and socioeconomic issues, often create barriers to participation. As a result, the needs of families from disadvantaged areas are frequently underrepresented in research, limiting our ability to tailor interventions to fit their contexts. To address this gap, this research aimed to bridge the divide between the daily realities of parents and effective health interventions by incorporating their voices in the design and implementation of strategies that promote their children's healthy growth. By engaging parents in a meaningful way, the study sought to improve health outcomes for children in disadvantaged communities, ensuring that interventions are more aligned with the needs and preferences of the families they serve. The findings of this study highlight the everyday challenges and needs faced by mothers in a relatively low-income, multi-ethnic neighbourhood in Amsterdam as they strive to provide the best care for their children during the first two years of life. The research underscores the importance of offering culturally sensitive, adaptable, and practical support to parents during this critical period. Additionally, it emphasizes the necessity of building trust between parents and healthcare professionals, encouraging open intergenerational dialogue, and establishing informal, community-based support groups to combat social isolation. Co-creating health initiatives with mothers has proven to be an effective strategy for empowering families and ensuring that interventions are better aligned with their specific needs.