Knowledge and Behaviors Related to Current Diet and Physical Activity Guidelines and Recommendations among African American Parents of Young Children

Abstract

BackgroundChild obesity has risen dramatically with minority children at greatest risk. Parents play an important role in determining what a young child eats and how physically active they are yet little is known about the extent to which parents are knowledgeable about current guidelines and recommendations. This purpose of this study was to assess the diet‐ and activity‐promoting knowledge and practices among a sample of African American parents of young children.MethodsIn summer 2014, 84 African American parents/primary caregivers (parents) of healthy children age 6 months to < 6 years were recruited from a primary care clinic waiting room and completed a 25‐item questionnaire that assessed their knowledge of evidence‐based diet and activity recommendations and their practices as they relate to their young child.ResultsThe majority of respondents (76%) were women, 87.4% low income, and 51% had received prior nutrition training (98% through WIC). One‐third knew that half of children's meals should be fruits and vegetables and 42.0% knew that at lest 50% of their child's grain‐containing foods should be whole grain. Nearly half (47%) knew that consumption of fruit juice should be limited and 62.5% knew that school‐age children should get at least 1 hour per day physical activity. 56% agreed that children often need to try a new food multiple times. 41% agreed that it was OK to make their child something else if they rejected the meal that had been served.ConclusionsThese results suggest that many African American parents of young children may lack knowledge of current child nutrition and feeding practice recommendations.