Parents’ views on their own and their children’s well-being in the context of organised after-school activities in disadvantaged areas
Abstract
Background: In Sweden, a high proportion of the population have a migrant background. Many of them reside in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas and face challenges with integration, unemployment, and unstable housing conditions. In Malmö, Sweden, the municipality has established so-called All-Activity Houses, located in disadvantaged areas and offering after-school activities that are developed in close collaboration with the children themselves. There is a need to evaluate the effects of the All-Activity Houses and their activities on the children’s well-being. Therefore, using a community-based participatory research approach, the aim of the current study is to describe the parents’ views on their children’s and their own well-being, as well as the key social factors influencing it, in the context of participation in the All-Activity Houses.
Methods: The method used was Multi-Stage Focus Groups, consisting of a series of focus group meetings conducted over an extended period during 2023–2024. Eighteen parents, with a background from nine different countries, chose to participate. The data were analysed with qualitative content analysis.
Results: The results showed that social relations were strengthened by the activities in the All-Activity Houses, not only for the children but also for the whole family. The activities affected the well-being of the children in different ways, for example, by making them engage in physical activity. Besides helping the children to develop, the activities also increased their joy.
Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the parents had a very positive attitude to the impact that the activities within the All-Activity Houses had on their children’s and their own well-being. The results also revealed that the parents wished for support in their parenting, and that further research is needed regarding parental support and its effect in similar communities.
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BibTeX
@article{mangrio2026parents,
title = {{Parents’ views on their own and their children’s well-being in the context of organised after-school activities in disadvantaged areas}},
author = {Elisabeth Mangrio and Nour Zarzour and Margareta Rämgård},
journal = {BMC Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1186/s12889-026-29898-2},
url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-026-29898-2},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Parents’ views on their own and their children’s well-being in the context of organised after-school activities in disadvantaged areas
AU - Elisabeth Mangrio
AU - Nour Zarzour
AU - Margareta Rämgård
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/14
JO - BMC Public Health
DO - 10.1186/s12889-026-29898-2
UR - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-026-29898-2
AB - Background: In Sweden, a high proportion of the population have a migrant background. Many of them reside in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas and face challenges with integration, unemployment, and unstable housing conditions. In Malmö, Sweden, the municipality has established so-called All-Activity Houses, located in disadvantaged areas and offering after-school activities that are developed in close collaboration with the children themselves. There is a need to evaluate the effects of the All-Activity Houses and their activities on the children’s well-being. Therefore, using a community-based participatory research approach, the aim of the current study is to describe the parents’ views on their children’s and their own well-being, as well as the key social factors influencing it, in the context of participation in the All-Activity Houses. Methods: The method used was Multi-Stage Focus Groups, consisting of a series of focus group meetings conducted over an extended period during 2023–2024. Eighteen parents, with a background from nine different countries, chose to participate. The data were analysed with qualitative content analysis. Results: The results showed that social relations were strengthened by the activities in the All-Activity Houses, not only for the children but also for the whole family. The activities affected the well-being of the children in different ways, for example, by making them engage in physical activity. Besides helping the children to develop, the activities also increased their joy. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the parents had a very positive attitude to the impact that the activities within the All-Activity Houses had on their children’s and their own well-being. The results also revealed that the parents wished for support in their parenting, and that further research is needed regarding parental support and its effect in similar communities.
SN - 1471-2458
ER -