Improving Vitamin D Intake in Young Children—Can an Infographic Help Parents and Carers Understand the Recommendations?
Vitamin D deficiency is a serious public health issue in the United Kingdom. Those at increased risk, such as pregnant women, children under 5 years and people from ethnic groups with dark skin, are not all achieving their recommended vitamin D. Effective vitamin D education is warranted. A qualitat...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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Series: | Nutrients |
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Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/9/3140 |
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author | Ailsa Brogan-Hewitt Tanefa A Apekey Meaghan Sarah Christian Rhiannon Eleanor Day |
author_facet | Ailsa Brogan-Hewitt Tanefa A Apekey Meaghan Sarah Christian Rhiannon Eleanor Day |
author_sort | Ailsa Brogan-Hewitt |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Vitamin D deficiency is a serious public health issue in the United Kingdom. Those at increased risk, such as pregnant women, children under 5 years and people from ethnic groups with dark skin, are not all achieving their recommended vitamin D. Effective vitamin D education is warranted. A qualitative study was undertaken to evaluate the acceptability and understanding of a vitamin D infographic, developed using recommendations from previous research. Fifteen parents/carers, recruited through local playgroups and adverts on popular parent websites, participated in focus groups and telephone interviews. The majority were female, White British and educated to degree level. A thematic analysis methodology was applied. The findings indicated that understanding and acceptability of the infographic were satisfactory, but improvements were recommended to aid interpretation and create more accessible information. These included additional content (what vitamin D is; other sources; its health benefits; methods/doses for administration and scientific symbols used) and improved presentation (eye-catching, less text, simpler language, more images and a logo). Once finalized, the infographic could be a useful tool to educate families around vitamin D supplementation guidelines, support the UK Healthy Start vitamins scheme and help improve vitamin D status for pregnant and lactating women and young children. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:20:12Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-53c8f328629140a3b1972935f9c0d030 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2072-6643 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:20:12Z |
publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
publisher | MDPI AG |
record_format | Article |
series | Nutrients |
spelling | doaj.art-53c8f328629140a3b1972935f9c0d0302023-11-22T14:38:02ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432021-09-01139314010.3390/nu13093140Improving Vitamin D Intake in Young Children—Can an Infographic Help Parents and Carers Understand the Recommendations?Ailsa Brogan-Hewitt0Tanefa A Apekey1Meaghan Sarah Christian2Rhiannon Eleanor Day3School of Clinical and Applied Sciences, Leeds Beckett University, CL615A Calverley Building, Leeds LS1 3HE, UKSchool of Clinical and Applied Sciences, Leeds Beckett University, CL615A Calverley Building, Leeds LS1 3HE, UKDepartment of Nutrition, Dietetics & Food, Monash University, Be Active Seep Eat (BASE) Facility, Level 1, 264 Ferntree Gully Road, Melbourne, VIC 3168, AustraliaSchool of Clinical and Applied Sciences, Leeds Beckett University, CL615A Calverley Building, Leeds LS1 3HE, UKVitamin D deficiency is a serious public health issue in the United Kingdom. Those at increased risk, such as pregnant women, children under 5 years and people from ethnic groups with dark skin, are not all achieving their recommended vitamin D. Effective vitamin D education is warranted. A qualitative study was undertaken to evaluate the acceptability and understanding of a vitamin D infographic, developed using recommendations from previous research. Fifteen parents/carers, recruited through local playgroups and adverts on popular parent websites, participated in focus groups and telephone interviews. The majority were female, White British and educated to degree level. A thematic analysis methodology was applied. The findings indicated that understanding and acceptability of the infographic were satisfactory, but improvements were recommended to aid interpretation and create more accessible information. These included additional content (what vitamin D is; other sources; its health benefits; methods/doses for administration and scientific symbols used) and improved presentation (eye-catching, less text, simpler language, more images and a logo). Once finalized, the infographic could be a useful tool to educate families around vitamin D supplementation guidelines, support the UK Healthy Start vitamins scheme and help improve vitamin D status for pregnant and lactating women and young children.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/9/3140vitamin D intakeinfants and childreninfographicqualitative research |
spellingShingle | Ailsa Brogan-Hewitt Tanefa A Apekey Meaghan Sarah Christian Rhiannon Eleanor Day Improving Vitamin D Intake in Young Children—Can an Infographic Help Parents and Carers Understand the Recommendations? Nutrients vitamin D intake infants and children infographic qualitative research |
title | Improving Vitamin D Intake in Young Children—Can an Infographic Help Parents and Carers Understand the Recommendations? |
title_full | Improving Vitamin D Intake in Young Children—Can an Infographic Help Parents and Carers Understand the Recommendations? |
title_fullStr | Improving Vitamin D Intake in Young Children—Can an Infographic Help Parents and Carers Understand the Recommendations? |
title_full_unstemmed | Improving Vitamin D Intake in Young Children—Can an Infographic Help Parents and Carers Understand the Recommendations? |
title_short | Improving Vitamin D Intake in Young Children—Can an Infographic Help Parents and Carers Understand the Recommendations? |
title_sort | improving vitamin d intake in young children can an infographic help parents and carers understand the recommendations |
topic | vitamin D intake infants and children infographic qualitative research |
url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/9/3140 |
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