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Parent Experiences of Empowerment: Understanding the Role of Parent Empowerment in Child Health Promotion
Natalie Grafft1, Cristina Gago, Evelin Garcia
1Boston College School of Social Work, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts (Mrs Grafft); Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr Gago); Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts (Ms Garcia); Boston College School of Social Work, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts (Ms Aftosmes-Tobio); Health Policy, Management, & Behavior, University at Albany School of Public Health, Rensselaer, New York (Dr Jurkowski); Nutrition and Dietetics, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, California (Dr Blaine); and Boston College School of Social Work, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts (Dr Davison).
Background:
Establishing healthy behaviors during a child's first 5 years is essential for healthy growth. Parents are targeted as agents of change because they serve as primary models of behavior during this period. Although parent-focused interventions often target empowerment as a driver of change, our understanding of how parents experience the process of empowerment in the context of child health promotion remains limited.
Objective:
This qualitative study explored the process by which parents gain empowerment through participation in a health promotion intervention.
Methods:
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 37 low-income parents who participated in Parents Connect for Healthy Living (PConnect), a 10-week empowerment-centered obesity prevention intervention. Data were analyzed using inductive-deductive thematic analysis and guided by empowerment theories.
Results:
Most parents were Hispanic/Latino (41%) and female (97%). Five themes emerged that correspond to the process by which parents gained empowerment: (1) friendships formed and relationships strengthened during PConnect, (2) parents strengthened relationships with their children and believed in their ability to parent successfully, (3) the experience of knowledge led to behavior change, (4) parents used new resources to improve family health, and (5) parents took action.
Conclusion:
Empowerment theory should be a component of health promotion programs.
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