Communicating With Head Start Families About Children's Weight Status: A Phenomenological Approach

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Childhood Obesity Research
• Health Communication

Background:

• Head Start (HS) implemented BMI screening to identify childhood obesity early.
• HS programs communicate children's weight status to families.
• Limited research exists on HS communication methods for children's weight status.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore Head Start health/nutrition managers' (HNM) experiences communicating children's weight status to families.
• To identify common strategies and challenges in these communications.

Main Methods:

• Phenomenological study design and analysis.
• Twenty-eight in-depth telephone interviews with HNMs in North Carolina and Ohio.
• Interviews focused on lived experiences with the BMI screening program, recorded and transcribed verbatim.

Main Results:

• Four themes emerged: communication strategies, family responses, educational/support opportunities, and challenges in family engagement.
• HNMs use various strategies to discuss weight status, but family responses vary.
• Challenges include engaging families in obesity prevention and underutilized community partnerships.

Conclusions:

• HS programs recognize the importance of weight status communication but lack consistent methods.
• Effective and sensitive communication strategies are needed for HS families regarding child weight.
• Further research is essential to develop and evaluate these communication approaches.