How Minority Parents Could Help Children Develop Healthy Eating Behaviors: Parent and Child Perspectives
Minority children and children living in under-resourced households are at the greatest risk for obesity and diet-related disparities. Identifying effective strategies to reduce these risks is an important step in child obesity prevention. Parents influence the home environment and play a critical r...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/12/3879 |
| _version_ | 1797544245165293568 |
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| author | Chishinga Callender Denisse Velazquez Meheret Adera Jayna M. Dave Norma Olvera Tzu-An Chen Shana Alford Debbe Thompson |
| author_facet | Chishinga Callender Denisse Velazquez Meheret Adera Jayna M. Dave Norma Olvera Tzu-An Chen Shana Alford Debbe Thompson |
| author_sort | Chishinga Callender |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Minority children and children living in under-resourced households are at the greatest risk for obesity and diet-related disparities. Identifying effective strategies to reduce these risks is an important step in child obesity prevention. Parents influence the home environment and play a critical role in child obesity prevention. Eighteen parent–child dyads living in under-resourced Houston area communities participated in a mixed methods study (online surveys, telephone interviews). The purpose of the research reported here was to conduct a secondary analysis of the qualitative data to explore Black/African American and Hispanic parent and child perspectives of the ways in which parents could help their children make healthy food choices. Descriptive statistics were calculated for parent and child demographic characteristics; hybrid thematic analysis was used to code and analyze the interview transcripts. Frequencies were calculated for children’s interview responses to rating scales and the grade they gave their eating habits. Mothers’ responses were grouped into two broad categories: facilitators (modeling, availability, and teaching) as ways parents could help their child eat healthy, and barriers (lack of time, cost of healthy foods, and lack of knowledge) to helping their child eat healthy. Alternatively, child responses focused on ways in which parents could provide support: environmental support (home availability, home cooking, and introducing new foods) and personal support (providing child choice, teaching, and encouragement). Most children reported that eating healthy was easy, and most rated their personal eating habits as an A or B. These findings suggest that understanding the perspectives of Black/African American and Hispanic parent–child dyads can provide insight into the development of culturally and economically relevant healthy eating strategies and interventions for families living in under-resourced communities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:57:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f830df5d333b4db38fd7ec28cbcf0168 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:57:41Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-f830df5d333b4db38fd7ec28cbcf01682023-11-21T01:29:51ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432020-12-011212387910.3390/nu12123879How Minority Parents Could Help Children Develop Healthy Eating Behaviors: Parent and Child PerspectivesChishinga Callender0Denisse Velazquez1Meheret Adera2Jayna M. Dave3Norma Olvera4Tzu-An Chen5Shana Alford6Debbe Thompson7USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, 1100 Bates Street, Houston, TX 77030, USAUSDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, 1100 Bates Street, Houston, TX 77030, USAUSDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, 1100 Bates Street, Houston, TX 77030, USAUSDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, 1100 Bates Street, Houston, TX 77030, USAPsychological, Health, and Learning Sciences Department, University of Houston, 3657 Cullen Boulevard Room 491, Houston, TX 77204, USAHEALTH Research Institute, University of Houston, 4849 Calhoun Road, Houston, TX 77204, USACommon Threads, 222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 1212, Chicago, IL 60654, USAUSDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, 1100 Bates Street, Houston, TX 77030, USAMinority children and children living in under-resourced households are at the greatest risk for obesity and diet-related disparities. Identifying effective strategies to reduce these risks is an important step in child obesity prevention. Parents influence the home environment and play a critical role in child obesity prevention. Eighteen parent–child dyads living in under-resourced Houston area communities participated in a mixed methods study (online surveys, telephone interviews). The purpose of the research reported here was to conduct a secondary analysis of the qualitative data to explore Black/African American and Hispanic parent and child perspectives of the ways in which parents could help their children make healthy food choices. Descriptive statistics were calculated for parent and child demographic characteristics; hybrid thematic analysis was used to code and analyze the interview transcripts. Frequencies were calculated for children’s interview responses to rating scales and the grade they gave their eating habits. Mothers’ responses were grouped into two broad categories: facilitators (modeling, availability, and teaching) as ways parents could help their child eat healthy, and barriers (lack of time, cost of healthy foods, and lack of knowledge) to helping their child eat healthy. Alternatively, child responses focused on ways in which parents could provide support: environmental support (home availability, home cooking, and introducing new foods) and personal support (providing child choice, teaching, and encouragement). Most children reported that eating healthy was easy, and most rated their personal eating habits as an A or B. These findings suggest that understanding the perspectives of Black/African American and Hispanic parent–child dyads can provide insight into the development of culturally and economically relevant healthy eating strategies and interventions for families living in under-resourced communities.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/12/3879minorityparentschildrenobesitypreventiondiet |
| spellingShingle | Chishinga Callender Denisse Velazquez Meheret Adera Jayna M. Dave Norma Olvera Tzu-An Chen Shana Alford Debbe Thompson How Minority Parents Could Help Children Develop Healthy Eating Behaviors: Parent and Child Perspectives Nutrients minority parents children obesity prevention diet |
| title | How Minority Parents Could Help Children Develop Healthy Eating Behaviors: Parent and Child Perspectives |
| title_full | How Minority Parents Could Help Children Develop Healthy Eating Behaviors: Parent and Child Perspectives |
| title_fullStr | How Minority Parents Could Help Children Develop Healthy Eating Behaviors: Parent and Child Perspectives |
| title_full_unstemmed | How Minority Parents Could Help Children Develop Healthy Eating Behaviors: Parent and Child Perspectives |
| title_short | How Minority Parents Could Help Children Develop Healthy Eating Behaviors: Parent and Child Perspectives |
| title_sort | how minority parents could help children develop healthy eating behaviors parent and child perspectives |
| topic | minority parents children obesity prevention diet |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/12/3879 |
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