Developing a nutrition intervention in children's centres: exploring views of parents in rural/urban settings in the UK

Ohly, Heather; Hayter, Arabella; Pettinger, Clare; Pikhart, Hynek; Watt, Richard G.; Rees, Gail

doi:10.1017/s1368980012003977

Cited by 8 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…The qualitative investigation was followed by a quantitative survey of a sample of parents using children's centres in both areas. The results of the quantitative questionnaire survey are reported elsewhere (Ohly et al 2012). Data from both investigations were used to inform the development of a nutrition intervention delivered in children's centres across Islington and Cornwall (details and methodology of the intervention to be published separately).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A qualitative study exploring parental accounts of feeding pre‐school children in two low‐income populations in the UK

Hayter

Draper

Ohly

et al. 2013

Maternal & Child Nutrition

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Good nutrition in the early years of life is essential, yet the diets of many pre-school children in the UK are known to be poor. Understanding the decisions parents make when feeding young children is very important in determining what type and nature of interventional support may be developed to promote good nutrition. The aim of this study was to explore using qualitative methods, parental perceptions of feeding their children in order to inform the development of a nutrition intervention. Focus groups (n = 33) and individual interviews (n = 6) were undertaken with parents, most of whom were attending children's centres in two deprived populations from one urban (Islington, north London) and one rural (Cornwall) location in England. Accounts of feeding pre-school children were primarily concerned with dealing with the practicalities of modern life, in particular the cost of food and the need to manage on a restricted household budget. Time pressures, a lack of perceived knowledge and confidence in preparing food and managing conflict over food choices between family members were also strong themes. Parents commonly reported differences between how they would like to feed their children and the reality of what they were able to do in their circumstances. These findings suggest that the poor eating habits of many pre-school children may be less a case of parental ignorance but rather the product of a range of coping strategies. Designing an intervention, which helps parents to build their confidence and self-efficacy, may enable them to make positive changes to their children's diets.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A qualitative study exploring parental accounts of feeding pre‐school children in two low‐income populations in the UK

Hayter

Draper

Ohly

et al. 2013

Maternal & Child Nutrition

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“…A questionnaire survey was conducted with heads of all children's centres in both locations as well as over 260 parents/guardians using opportunistically selected children's centres to inform the development of the intervention (Ohly et al . ). A short self‐administered questionnaire was also used to gather information from children's centre managers on food‐related activities taking place, options for staff training and nature of food policies operating in each centre.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…; Ohly et al . ) but in summary the main insights gained to inform the development of the intervention were: Acknowledgement of the wide range of factors influencing parental feeding practices including: Affordability of food, Time constraints in hectic family life, Availability of foods and influence of food marketing and advertising, Family influences and challenges to parental wishes and Familiarity of food to children and the difficulties of dealing with fussy eating. Key implications for development of intervention were: Recognition that complex and varied influences on food practices require multifaceted support. Information leaflets alone would not be sufficient to address problems identified. Need to understand importance of family and social influences within family structures. Strong support expressed from both parents and staff for the development of a new tailored intervention in children's centres. Necessity of practical support that engages with parents and equips them with the necessary knowledge, skills and self‐confidence and moves beyond narrow provision of information alone. Need to include support on dealing with fussy eating and managing on a tight budget. Very few differences were evident on support required in urban and rural settings – core programme therefore applicable in both areas. …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Methodological development of an exploratory randomised controlled trial of an early years' nutrition intervention: the CHERRY programme (Choosing Healthy Eating when Really Young)

Watt

Draper

Ohly

et al. 2013

Maternal & Child Nutrition

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Good nutrition in the early years of life is vitally important for a child's development, growth and health. Children's diets in the United Kingdom are known to be poor, particularly among socially disadvantaged groups, and there is a need for timely and appropriate interventions that support parents to improve the diets of young children. The Medical Research Council has highlighted the importance of conducting developmental and exploratory research prior to undertaking full-scale trials to evaluate complex interventions, but have provided very limited detailed guidance on the conduct of these initial phases of research. This paper describes the initial developmental stage and the conduct of an exploratory randomised controlled trial undertaken to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a family-centred early years' nutrition intervention. Choosing Healthy Eating when Really Young (CHERRY) is a programme for families with children aged 18 months to 5 years, delivered in children's centres in one urban (Islington) and one rural (Cornwall) location in the United Kingdom. In the development stage, a mixed-methods approach was used to investigate the nature of the problem and options for support. A detailed review of the evidence informed the theoretical basis of the study and the creation of a logic model. In the feasibility and pilot testing stage of the exploratory trial, 16 children's centres, with a sample of 394 families were recruited onto the study. We hope that the methodology, which we present in this paper, will inform and assist other researchers in conducting community-based, exploratory nutrition research in early years settings.

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“…There are few studies available that compare adolescent obesity in rural and urban environments [10,11], and those that do exist are all outside Portugal. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to compare the eating habits, physical activity, sedentary habits, and parental BMI of Portuguese adolescents in two different environments (rural and urban).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Overweight and obesity and their associated factors among early adolescence school children in urban and rural Portugal

2017

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Background: Obesity is defined as an abnormal or excessive accumulation of body fat and it is currently one of the most concerning public health issues, as it is related to a wide range of serious diseases and disorders. The study of the causes of obesity is multifactorial, and its diagnosis requires specific methods. Its management is complex, and it is crucial that it is handled appropriately, and its primary focus should be on prevention through lifestyle changes. The objectives of this study are to determine the prevalence of overweight/obesity in adolescents of both genders, aged 10 to 12 years, from different geographical environments (rural and urban), as well as to identify the underlying risk factors related to the respective obesity rates, namely: family environment, eating habits, and physical exercise. Methods: An observational, cross-sectional study in a sample of 129 adolescents aged 10 to 12 years was conducted. Participants of both genders from rural and urban environments were included in this study. A questionnaire was completed on eating habits and physical activity, focusing on the number of daily meals, meal composition, and sedentary lifestyle habits. An anthropometric assessment was also performed, including weight, height, skinfolds, waist circumference, arm circumference, and percentage of lean mass and body fat, using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Results: In the rural environment, the obesity rate was 16.9%, with 26.8% being either overweight or obese; whereas in the urban environment, these rates were respectively 16.7% and 33.4%. Living in a rural environment was not an independent predictor of being overweight or obesity, p = 0.581, or for increased percentage of body fat, p = 0.790. In contrast, being 12 years old, eating high-calorie foods four times a week or less, and having at least one obese parent were predictors of being overweight or obesity. Being 12 years old was also a predictor of gaining moderate to high body fat. Conclusions: Adolescents' residence in a rural or urban environment does not affect the occurrence of being overweight, obesity or high body fat. Paternal obesity was an important predictor of obesity in children. Obese fathers tended to serve higher calorie meals to their children.

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Developing a nutrition intervention in children's centres: exploring views of parents in rural/urban settings in the UK

Cited by 8 publications

References 19 publications

A qualitative study exploring parental accounts of feeding pre‐school children in two low‐income populations in the UK

A qualitative study exploring parental accounts of feeding pre‐school children in two low‐income populations in the UK

Methodological development of an exploratory randomised controlled trial of an early years' nutrition intervention: the CHERRY programme (Choosing Healthy Eating when Really Young)

Overweight and obesity and their associated factors among early adolescence school children in urban and rural Portugal

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