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Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to describe several barriers to wellness that parents have experienced.
Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to identify strategies for preventing childhood obesity.
Abstract
Background: According to the World Health Organization (2012), population health related to childhood obesity prevention is a growing global public health concern. Parents are critical stakeholders in the prevention of childhood obesity. Exploring parents' perspectives of barriers and facilitators to obesity prevention and health promotion is one way to identify key strategies to move this initiative forward.
Purpose:The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine parents' perceptions of the health and well-being of their family and explore concerns/issues parents might have regarding promoting and maintaining the health of their family.
Method:Using Bronfenbrenner’s (2005) ecological model as theoretical framework, 6 focus groups were conducted. Participants were employed parents (n = 32) with children 2-18 years, recruited from diverse employment settings in a midsize Midwestern city. Topics covered included perspectives on health, nutrition, physical activity, and the health and well-being of their family. Recorded data was transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically.
Results: Participants were mothers (72%), Caucasian (81%), family income >$75,000/yr (53%) and college educated (66%). Parents did not report that family members were unhealthy, yet all struggled with health promotion issues in the family. Differing parent and child beliefs and familial unit cultural norms contributed to the struggles. Themes emerging from the data included: “It’s Hard to Find Balance”, “Family Health is a Challenge”, “Social Pressure to Go Along with Others”, and “Social Interactions From a Distance”.
Conclusions: Parents expressed a desire for their family to be healthy. Effectively addressing barriers and facilitators to health promotion needs to include initiating and maintaining strategies to minimize the identified struggles while maximizing the self-management strategies within the family.