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Parental perceptions of overweight during early childhood

L Suzanne Goodell1, Michelle B Pierce, Carolina M Bravo

  • 1North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.

Qualitative Health Research
|October 14, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Parents of preschoolers in low-socioeconomic status communities perceive childhood overweight differently than clinicians. Focusing on overall health, not just weight, is key for effective prevention programs.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Child Development

Background:

  • Childhood overweight is a growing public health concern.
  • Understanding parental perceptions is crucial for effective intervention programs.
  • Minority, low-socioeconomic status (SES) populations face unique challenges in addressing childhood overweight.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine perceptions of overweight among minority, low-SES parents of preschoolers.
  • To identify barriers in communicating about childhood overweight between parents and healthcare providers.
  • To inform the development of effective overweight prevention programs for early childhood.

Main Methods:

  • Qualitative study utilizing content analysis.
  • Conducted 10 focus groups (average 7 participants each).
  • Conducted 18 follow-up interviews with parents of preschoolers in Hartford, Connecticut.

Main Results:

  • Parents demonstrated a distorted and detached view of clinically defined overweight preschoolers.
  • Weight was not included in parents' definition of child health.
  • A communication gap exists between parents and healthcare providers regarding childhood overweight.

Conclusions:

  • Overweight intervention programs should prioritize parents' concern for good health over weight.
  • New communication strategies are needed to explain the diagnosis and implications of childhood overweight.
  • Collaborative approaches between healthcare providers and parents can improve prevention and treatment outcomes for childhood overweight.

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