Providing healthy diets for young children: the experience of parents in a UK inner city

Abstract

Objectives: There is a consistent body of evidence to demonstrate that obesity in very early childhood tends to continue into adolescence and through to adulthood. Parental practices in relation to food can have an effect on this trajectory, however existing studies reporting on interventions for treating obesity suggest there is a need to involve populations from demographically diverse backgrounds childhood obesity research. Design/Methods: A qualitative study was carried out using semi-structured interviews with parents in a deprived inner city area. Results: Although parents had good intentions towards providing a health diet for their chidren, a number of barriers emerged. Findings were reported in relation to the following themes: information and education; barriers (having a child with special needs, children’s food preferences and using food to promote desirable behaviour) and techniques (household rules & routines, setting limits and parameters, modelling and food preparation). Conclusion: Parents and carers would benefit from targeted interventions based on improving techniques around food parenting practices, with a focus on equipping parents with the skills to overcome barriers encountered not only in early childhood, but as children progress to school age and through to adolescence.

Team Snacks in Youth Basketball: Which Factors Influence Parent Selection

“…These findings are consistent with previous research addressing parent perception of the snacking environment in youth sports (Gray et al, 2015;Rafferty et al, 2018). Results from this study were also similar to findings from other research citing barriers parents encounter in providing healthier foods for children, such as time, cost, adherence to perceived social norms, avoidance of conflict between parents and children, and children's preferences for foods high in sugar, salt, and fat (Goldthorpe, Ali, & Calam, 2018;Haroldson, Cordell, & Haldeman, 2015;Nepper & Chai, 2016).…”

‘They Are Kids, Let Them Eat’: A Qualitative Investigation into the Parental Beliefs and Practices of Providing a Healthy Diet for Young Children among a Culturally Diverse and Deprived Population in the UK

“…Children’s food preferences, particularly the refusal of fruit and vegetables in favour of more ‘palatable’ and unhealthier options, was a notable barrier discussed across all of the focus groups, a finding that has been identified across other migrated populations globally [ 14 , 59 , 60 , 61 ]. Children have been shown to have a genetic predisposition and evolutionary derived preference for sweet foods and a dislike of bitter foods [ 62 ], which can vary by age.…”

The good, the bad, and the blameless: A thematic analysis of the parental role in childhood obesity on an Internet discussion board

“…In our results, some parents and commenters held the view that the child's personality might be the reason behind obesity and consequently, the parents are incapable of solving the situation. Another study found similar results: mothers felt that one reason why they were not able to provide healthy food for the child was because the child had special needs or food preferences [52].…”

“…Offering advice on lifestyle changes is not what parents always need or want. Parents want a sensitive attitude in counselling [19] and parents with a child with special needs want speci c advice [20] .Some parents feel that they already know enough about healthy lifestyles [21], and they might feel that health and happiness are more important than weight [22]. Alternatively, they might acknowledge that their child is overweight, but do not perceive it as a related health risk [23].…”