The following is a summary of “Triadic Collaboration Between Adolescents, Caregivers, and Health-Care Providers to Promote Healthy Behavior,” published in the February 2024  issue of Pediatrics by Kahn, et al.

For a study, researchers sought to help healthcare providers (HCPs) better understand how they can best support teens to choose healthy habits by providing more information about the different parts of the relationship between teens, healthcare providers (HCPs), and guardians during teen health care visits. Teenagers (ages 13 to 18) and their parents or guardians were asked to participate in qualitative questions about how they would like to connect with providers to change their health behaviors. Inductive thematic analysis was used to examine the data to find and explain patterns of themes across the collection.

Thirty-one teens and thirty adults who cared for them took part. The study examined how teens and their caretakers would like direct and secondary ties with healthcare professionals (HCPs) to encourage good behavior. It found fourteen themes. These themes were put together into a three-part collaborative framework to encourage good behavior by focusing on the teen and involving the parent.

The study added to what they already know about how HCPs, teens, and guardians connect and help them understand more about the HCP’s role in encouraging teens to choose healthy habits. These themes show how health care for teens is becoming more focused on the teen and including their caretakers. They also give healthcare professionals more ideas on working with teens and their caretakers to encourage healthy behaviors and better health outcomes.

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1054139X23004822