Challenges to parent nutrition education: A qualitative study of parents of urban children attending low-income schools.
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Jennifer Toller Erausquin, Associate Professor (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Abstract: Objective: The present study was undertaken to learn more about parents’
(i) knowledge regarding healthy foods, factors associated with food purchasing
and preparation, and current nutrition education resources, (ii) barriers to and
promoters for establishing healthy eating habits for children and families, and
(iii) interest in participating in nutrition interventions.
Design: Focus group interviews were conducted with parents of low-income
children from the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
Setting: LAUSD Title 1 elementary schools where 50% or more of students are
eligible for free/reduced-price meals.
Subjects: Sixty-four parents (93% female; 84% Hispanic/Latino) of elementaryschool
students.
Results: The most common barriers to eating healthy foods were cost, difficulty in
getting children to eat healthier foods and easy access to fast food. Parents had a
basic knowledge about what foods are healthy and received most of their nutrition
education through the media. Parents expressed a desire for nutrition classes and
almost all of them said they would attend a nutrition programme at their child’s
school. Topic areas of interest included what to purchase, how to cook healthier
foods, how to encourage their children to eat healthier and how to read food labels.
Parents also requested classes that engage the whole family, especially fathers.
Conclusions: Parents in our study were interested in participating in nutrition education
programmes. The information from these focus groups was used to design a
parent nutrition education programme especially designed to respond to the needs
of the LAUSD parents, the majority of whom are low-income and Hispanic/Latino.
Challenges to parent nutrition education: A qualitative study of parents of urban children attending low-income schools.
PDF (Portable Document Format)
132 KB
Created on 10/9/2013
Views: 3156
Additional Information
- Publication
- Language: English
- Date: 2011
- Keywords
- childhood obesity, parent nutrition education, nutrition education, school health promotion, health promotion, public health