[How are Effects of Patient Education Programs Influenced by Psychosocial Risk Factors in Pediatrics?].

Background: Modular patient education programs are effective in children with chronic conditions and their families. Little is known about the influence of socioeconomic status (SES), migration background (MB) and children's mental-health problems on the programs' effects.

Objectives: Do SES, MB or mental-health problems influence the success of education programs (disease-specific knowledge, children's health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and life satisfaction and parents' condition-specific burden)?

Materials And Methods: Children with different chronic conditions and their parents participated in modular patient education programs. Before and 6 weeks after the participation SES, MB, children's mental-health problems, parents' und children's disease-specific knowledge, children's HRQoL and life satisfaction and parents' condition-specific burden were assessed by standardized questionnaires. The influence on the programs' effects of SoS, MH and mental-health problems were examined with variance and correlation analyses.

Results: 398 children (mean age 10.2 yrs) and their parents participated. Irrespective of SoS, MH and mental-health problems the programs were associated with improved disease-specific knowledge, children's HRQoL and life satisfaction and parents' disease-specific burden. At follow-up SoS, MH and mental-health problems were associated with reduced knowledge, reduced children's' HRQoL and life satisfaction and increased parents' disease-specific burden.

Conclusions: Disadvantaged families and children with mental-health problems benefit from education programs, but have an increased need of education due to special challenges.