A Mobile-Based Tailored Recommendation System for Parents of Children with Overweight or Obesity: A New Tool for Health Care Centers
Childhood obesity is associated with unbalanced lifestyle patterns, and new strategies are needed to support parents in the compliance with the guidelines for children’s age. Tailored automatic recommendations mimic interpersonal counseling and are promising strategies to be considered for health pr...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-08-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2254-9625/10/3/57 |
| _version_ | 1797559553333657600 |
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| author | Lisa Afonso Rui Rodrigues Joana Castro Nuno Parente Carina Teixeira Ana Fraga Sandra Torres |
| author_facet | Lisa Afonso Rui Rodrigues Joana Castro Nuno Parente Carina Teixeira Ana Fraga Sandra Torres |
| author_sort | Lisa Afonso |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Childhood obesity is associated with unbalanced lifestyle patterns, and new strategies are needed to support parents in the compliance with the guidelines for children’s age. Tailored automatic recommendations mimic interpersonal counseling and are promising strategies to be considered for health promotion programs. This study aimed to develop and test a mobile recommendation system for parents of preschool children identified with overweight/obesity at health care centers. Evidence-based recommendations related to children’s eating, drinking, moving, and sleeping habits were developed and tested using a questionnaire. A pilot study was conducted in a health care center to test how using an app with those tailored recommendations, in video format, influenced parents’ perceptions of the child’s weight status and their knowledge about the guidelines, compared to a control group. The chi-squared test was used for categorical variables and the Mann–Whitney U test for continuous variables (<i>p</i> < 0.05). A high proportion of parents were already informed about the guidelines, but their children were not meeting them. After watching the tailored recommendations, there was an increased knowledge of the guideline on water intake, but there was no improvement in the perception of the child’s excessive weight. Parents may benefit from a mobile-based tailored recommendation system to improve their knowledge about the guidelines. However, there is a need to work with parents on motivation to manage the child’s weight with additional strategies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:48:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8c287171966c4ad2b54c631b2d2c18dc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2174-8144 2254-9625 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:48:02Z |
| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-8c287171966c4ad2b54c631b2d2c18dc2023-11-20T09:28:37ZengMDPI AGEuropean Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education2174-81442254-96252020-08-0110377979410.3390/ejihpe10030057A Mobile-Based Tailored Recommendation System for Parents of Children with Overweight or Obesity: A New Tool for Health Care CentersLisa Afonso0Rui Rodrigues1Joana Castro2Nuno Parente3Carina Teixeira4Ana Fraga5Sandra Torres6Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences and Center for Psychology, University of Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 4200-135 Porto, PortugalFaculty of Engineering, University of Porto, and INESC TEC, Rua Doutor Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, PortugalMaia-Valongo Health Centre Group, Avenida Luís de Camões, n.º 290, 3.º Andar, 4474-004 Maia, PortugalMaia-Valongo Health Centre Group, Avenida Luís de Camões, n.º 290, 3.º Andar, 4474-004 Maia, PortugalMaia-Valongo Health Centre Group, Avenida Luís de Camões, n.º 290, 3.º Andar, 4474-004 Maia, PortugalMaia-Valongo Health Centre Group, Avenida Luís de Camões, n.º 290, 3.º Andar, 4474-004 Maia, PortugalFaculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences and Center for Psychology, University of Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 4200-135 Porto, PortugalChildhood obesity is associated with unbalanced lifestyle patterns, and new strategies are needed to support parents in the compliance with the guidelines for children’s age. Tailored automatic recommendations mimic interpersonal counseling and are promising strategies to be considered for health promotion programs. This study aimed to develop and test a mobile recommendation system for parents of preschool children identified with overweight/obesity at health care centers. Evidence-based recommendations related to children’s eating, drinking, moving, and sleeping habits were developed and tested using a questionnaire. A pilot study was conducted in a health care center to test how using an app with those tailored recommendations, in video format, influenced parents’ perceptions of the child’s weight status and their knowledge about the guidelines, compared to a control group. The chi-squared test was used for categorical variables and the Mann–Whitney U test for continuous variables (<i>p</i> < 0.05). A high proportion of parents were already informed about the guidelines, but their children were not meeting them. After watching the tailored recommendations, there was an increased knowledge of the guideline on water intake, but there was no improvement in the perception of the child’s excessive weight. Parents may benefit from a mobile-based tailored recommendation system to improve their knowledge about the guidelines. However, there is a need to work with parents on motivation to manage the child’s weight with additional strategies.https://www.mdpi.com/2254-9625/10/3/57e-healthguideline adherencehealthy lifestylechildrenobesity |
| spellingShingle | Lisa Afonso Rui Rodrigues Joana Castro Nuno Parente Carina Teixeira Ana Fraga Sandra Torres A Mobile-Based Tailored Recommendation System for Parents of Children with Overweight or Obesity: A New Tool for Health Care Centers European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education e-health guideline adherence healthy lifestyle children obesity |
| title | A Mobile-Based Tailored Recommendation System for Parents of Children with Overweight or Obesity: A New Tool for Health Care Centers |
| title_full | A Mobile-Based Tailored Recommendation System for Parents of Children with Overweight or Obesity: A New Tool for Health Care Centers |
| title_fullStr | A Mobile-Based Tailored Recommendation System for Parents of Children with Overweight or Obesity: A New Tool for Health Care Centers |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Mobile-Based Tailored Recommendation System for Parents of Children with Overweight or Obesity: A New Tool for Health Care Centers |
| title_short | A Mobile-Based Tailored Recommendation System for Parents of Children with Overweight or Obesity: A New Tool for Health Care Centers |
| title_sort | mobile based tailored recommendation system for parents of children with overweight or obesity a new tool for health care centers |
| topic | e-health guideline adherence healthy lifestyle children obesity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2254-9625/10/3/57 |
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