Meaningful everyday situations from the perspective of children born preterm: A photo-elicitation interview study with six-year-old children

A study published in PLOS ONE by Andersson et al. (2023) aimed to explore meaningful everyday life situations as perceived by six-year-old children born preterm. The study had a descriptive qualitative design with an inductive approach and used photo-elicitation interviews to stimulate and help the children to describe their meaningful everyday life situations.

Ten six-year-old children who were born prematurely and who had not been diagnosed with a disability participated in the study. Qualitative content analysis according to Elo and Kyngäs was applied to the data collected from the photo elicitation interviews.

The results of the study showed that the children's descriptions of meaningful everyday situations can be understood as being in an active and dynamic process, which is the core category. The analysis resulted in three generic categories of how children described the meaning of having meaningful circumstances and doing things. The experiences that children gain from doing things create their desire for further development.

The study concludes that premature babies are able to reflect on and describe in detail situations that are important to them. The study suggests that if six-year-old preterm children are given the opportunity to share their views, they can play an active role in planning and implementing health service interventions.

In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the meaningful everyday life situations of six-year-old children born preterm. By using photo-elicitation interviews, the researchers were able to capture the perspectives of these children and provide → gain a better understanding of their experiences. This information can be used to inform interventions and support for children born preterm.