Background: Providing feedback to parents that their child has overweight often elicits negative reactance. Aims: To investigate the acceptability and feasibility of providing theoretically-informed narrative messages to reduce negative reactance, alongside the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) feedback informing parents when their child has overweight. Methods: A mixed-methods design: interviews with parents of primary school-aged children explored responses to the narratives; a pilot randomised trial examined the feasibility, acceptability and promise of enclosing narratives with NCMP feedback. Findings: Interview participants found the narratives acceptable and indicated they could help lessen negative reactance. Pilot study data suggested 65% of parents could identify with the characters, with evidence of elaboration (applying the story to one's own situation) evident in 47% of those reading the accounts.
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