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Parents' perceptions of obesity prevention during infancy: a qualitative study

Ilona Hale1, Shazhan Amed2, Shelly Keidar2

  • 1Department of Family Practice (Hale) and School of Population and Public Health (Lee), University of British Columbia; British Columbia Children's Hospital and SCOPE BC (Sustainable Childhood Obesity Prevention through Community Engagement) (Amed, Keidar), Vancouver, BC; East Kootenay Division of Family Practice (Purcell), Cranbrook, BC; College of Medicine (Farhadi), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Sask. ilona.hale@alumni.ubc.ca.

CMAJ Open
|February 21, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Parents find current obesity prevention advice for infants unrealistic. They prefer messages focusing on feeding roles, emphasizing the need for timely, supportive, and community-wide education for effective infant obesity prevention.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Infancy is a critical period for establishing weight set points.
  • Effective infant obesity prevention strategies and parental acceptance remain unclear.
  • Understanding parental perspectives on obesity prevention messages is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine parental attitudes toward infant obesity prevention messages.
  • To identify parental preferences for obesity prevention strategies for children under two.
  • To inform the development of effective public health communication.

Main Methods:

  • Qualitative research design utilizing semistructured interviews and focus groups.
  • Purposive sampling of parents with children under two years in British Columbia, Canada.
  • Theoretical thematic analysis of qualitative data.

Main Results:

  • Parents found common recommendations (e.g., no screen time, no sugary drinks) unrealistic and guilt-inducing.
  • A positive reception was noted for messages emphasizing parental feeding roles.
  • Participants highlighted the importance of early education and community-level interventions.

Conclusions:

  • Parental feedback indicates a need for realistic and supportive obesity prevention messaging.
  • Timely and relevant information is essential for engaging busy parents.
  • Incorporating parental preferences can enhance the effectiveness of infant obesity prevention programs.
Abstract

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