Australian parents' views on their 5-6-year-old children's food choices

The home food environment is central to the development of healthy eating behaviours, but associations between the home food environment and children's food choices are not yet fully understood. The aims of this study were to explore parents' views regarding factors that influence children's food choices and parents' decision-making regarding the food they provide to their children. In-depth one-on-one interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview schedule. Key concepts and themes were coded independently by two investigators. Participants include seventeen parents (16 mothers and 1 father) of children in their first year of formal schooling (aged 5-6 years). Five main themes emerged from the interviews: food marketing, food availability/food exposure, feeding strategies, modelling of eating and opportunities for food involvement. Parents believed that food marketing influenced their child's food preferences but differed in the ways they managed these influences. The food made available to children was also seen to influence what a child ate. Yet, although some parents believed it was the parents' role to determine what foods were made available to their child, others offered food on the basis of the child's tastes or preferences. The use of food as a reward was a feeding strategy employed by many parents. Family mealtimes were seen as an important opportunity for modelling of eating behaviour by parents. Peers were also seen to influence children's food preferences and eating behaviour. Finally, many parents believed that involving children in the preparation of food had a positive impact on children's food choices. Associations between the home food environment and children's food choices are complex and involve multiple mediators. Parents' views on the promoters and reinforcers of their decision-making regarding food and their child's food choices provide useful insights into these mediating factors. Increased understanding of these relationships is likely to enhance obesity prevention efforts.     

Users' views on hospital and home care for acute illness in childhood

This mainly qualitative study compared 40 families' experience of hospital and home care. This is one aspect of a randomised, controlled trial, which aimed to evaluate the clinical and cost effectiveness of a paediatric hospital at home service (HAH) for acute illness in children. This paper builds upon previous work that has aimed to examine parents' and children's views as service users. Forty families from a larger sample population took part in structured interviews. Eleven children aged 5 to 12 years took part in semistructured interviews. A drawing technique was the chosen method of augmentation in the children's interviews. Research findings showed that HAH is an acceptable alternative to hospital care where there are essentially nursing needs. Thirty-six (90%) parents and seven children stated a clear preference for HAH. The parents' preference was based on a perception that their child's illness wasn't serious or life threatening and therefore could be managed at home with appropriate support from health professionals. The social and financial costs of hospital care compared with HAH were the other main drivers, rather than a comparison of the quality of nursing care of their child.     

Sun protection among parents and children at freshwater beaches

OBJECTIVES: This paper describes the sun-related behaviour of parents and their children, ages 5-12 years. METHODS: In-person interviews were conducted with parents and observations of parents and their children to ascertain: 1) parents' self-reported use of sunscreen, 2) parent-proxy reports of children's sunscreen use, and 3) observations of parents' and children's use of shade, hats and protective clothing. Data collection took place at freshwater beaches in BC's Southern Interior, between 12 pm and 5 pm, over a seven-day period during August 1999. RESULTS: 94 parents were interviewed and observed. Parent-proxy reports and observational data were collected on 161 children. Half (53%) of parents reported they were wearing sunscreen at the time of the on-beach interview. Most (65%) of parents reported that their children were wearing sunscreen at the time of the on-beach interview. Children's first application of sunscreen took place on average 1.5 hours prior to interview. Most parents (86%) reported that their children's sunscreen had not been reapplied at the time of interview. Few parents (13%) or children (5%) used shade as provided by nearby trees or umbrellas. CONCLUSION: Public education should emphasize sunscreen re-application. Actions should be taken to enhance the convenient use of shade structures at public beaches.     

家庭因素对儿童伤害相关行为的影响

目的 探讨家庭因素对儿童伤害相关行为的影响。方法 采用家庭相关问题调查表和儿童伤害相关行为自编量表,对马鞍山市市区6所小学6884名儿童的伤害相关行为及其家庭因素进行调查,并进行多分类logistic回归分析。结果 有严重伤害相关行为者1670人,占24.26％;有中度伤害相关行为者3683人,占53.50％。儿童伤害相关行为的影响因素有:父母采取惩罚、不闻不问的教育方式;家庭类型为重组家庭;父母对意外伤害的认知程度;父母放置药物的地点不当;过马路时不或偶尔提醒儿童注意交通安全等。结论 儿童伤害相关行为与家庭因素有密切关系,必须重视家庭因素的作用。     

儿童单纯性肥胖症的遗传和环境危险因素分析

目的探讨影响儿童单纯性肥胖症的遗传和环境等相关因素,为儿童单纯性肥胖症的防治提供依据。方法选取6~12岁肥胖组与对照组儿童各938名,采用自编问卷调查肥胖相关危险因素,并进行非条件Logistic回归分析。结果共有19项因素进入Logistic多因素回归方程,包括遗传因素4项和环境相关因素15项,其中关联强度较大的因素有:父母持有胖就是健康的观念(OR=14.406)、食欲好(OR=9.072)、父母双方均肥胖(OR=3.203)。高出生体重、母亲肥胖、父亲肥胖、不挑食、服从家长对食物的提示、运动时间短、喜食油炸食品和禽肉类食物、进食速度快、性格偏外向、暴饮暴食、广告传媒影响等因素也与儿童肥胖有相关性。结论儿童单纯性肥胖症与遗传因素和环境因素关系密切,应采取综合措施加强预防。     

Associations among social capital, parenting for active lifestyles, and youth physical activity in rural families living in upstate New York

While emerging research supports a positive relationship between social capital and youth physical activity (PA), few studies have examined possible mechanisms explaining this relationship and no studies have focused on rural youth. In this study, we examined parents' support of children's PA as an intermediary factor linking social capital and youth PA in a largely rural cross sectional sample of American children aged 6- to 19-years and their parents/guardians (N=767 families) living in upstate New York. Parents completed a self-administered survey assessing demographic factors, perceived social capital, support for children's PA, and children's PA including time spent outdoors and days per week of sufficient PA. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesis that higher social capital is linked with higher parental support for PA and, in turn, higher PA in children. Analyses were conducted separately for younger (6-12 years) and older (13-19 years) children and controlled for demographic factors (child age, household education, participation in a food assistance program) and perceived neighborhood safety. Anticipated relationships among social capital, parents' activity-related support, and children's PA were identified for older, but not younger children. Findings suggest that parent support for children's PA is one possible mechanism linking social capital and youth PA and the parents of adolescents may rely more heavily on cues from their social environment to shape their approaches to supporting their children's PA than parents of younger children.     

Paths to child social adjustment: parenting quality and children's processing of social information

BaCKGROUND: The purpose of this research was to examine the manner in which multiple influences on child social adjustment operated together to predict differential outcomes for young children. Specifically, this study was designed to (i) examine the role of social cognitive and emotional factors in parents' observed and self-reported behaviour towards their children, and (ii) investigate the impact of parenting and children's social information processing (SIP) patterns on children's subsequent social adjustment in the school setting. METHODS: A model of children's peer social adjustment was evaluated using a group of 166 children, over-sampled for history of physical child abuse. Assessment of constructs was multi-method, including parent and child self-reports as well as teacher reports of child adjustment and observations of parent-child and child-peer interactions. RESULTS: Using structural equation modelling, support was found for our theoretical model. Specifically, parents' negative child-related beliefs and clinical elevations in emotional distress were predictors of harsh, insensitive parenting, which in turn predicted children's SIP operations and social maladjustment 6 months later. However, children's SIP did not significantly predict their social adjustment above and beyond the impact of parenting. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicated that the quality of parenting that children received was more central to subsequent adjustment in peer interactions than were children's SIP operations. Furthermore, the quality of parenting children experienced was closely linked to parents' beliefs about their children and parents' mental health status. Directions for future research and potential implications for clinical practice are discussed.     

Enhancing Head Start parents' conceptions of literacy development and their confidence as literacy teachers: a study of parental involvement

This study examined the influence of six African-American parents' involvement in literacy-related activities at Head Start on their self-confidence, responsivity and sensitivity to children's emerging literacy behaviors. Assuming the role of “parent-teachers” in a literacy-enriched play office setting, the parents engaged children, who voluntarily entered the setting, in literacy-related play over a five month period. Based on ethnographic-like interviews with them, videotaped observations, and self-observation reports drawn from videotaped excerpts, the parents' communication patterns at three points in the study were determined and their views of themselves as literacy teachers described. Results indicated variation in the parents' communication patterns toward greater verbal interaction and acknowledgement of children's emergent literacy behaviors. Content analyses of parental attitudes suggested subtle changes in their confidence and sense of efficacy as teachers following their involvement with the children in the literacy-enriched play setting. Implications for the design and implementation of parental involvement activities in school settings are briefly discussed.     

广州市城区小学低年级学生父母对子女体形认知的研究

目的 了解广州市城区小学低年级学生父母对子女体形认知现状,为制订控制儿童肥胖的措施提供新的思路。方法 对广州市3 889名1～2年级学生现场进行身高和体重的测量并计算体质量指数,同时对其父母进行子女体形认知的问卷调查。结果 广州市1～2年级小学生消瘦、超重及肥胖发生率分别为17.79%、6.69%和5.86%;75.03%的学生家长对子女目前的体形不满意,总体形不满意度评分校正均值为-0.14,存在体形低估现象,特别是对儿子(-0.25)及一年级子女(-0.21)体形低估现象更为明显。结论 广州市城区1～2年级学生父母对子女体形认知存在明显低估现象,可考虑通过提高父母对子女体形认知的准确性,达到控制儿童肥胖的目的。     

Restricting Access to Foods and Children''s Eating

This study evaluated maternal restriction of children's access to snack foods as a predictor of children's intake of those foods when they were made freely available. In addition, child and parent eating-related "risk" factors were used to predict maternal reports of restricting access. Participants were 71, 3-to-5-year-old children (36 boys, 35 girls) and their parents. Children's snack food intake was measured immediately following a meal, in a setting offering free access to palatable snack foods. Child and maternal reports of restricting children's access to those snack foods were obtained. In addition, information on child and parent adiposity as well as parents' restrained and disinhibited eating was used to examine "risk" factors for restricting access. For girls only, child and maternal reports of restricting access predicted girls' snack food intake, with higher levels of restriction predicting higher levels of snack food intake. Maternal restriction, in turn, was predicted by children's adiposity. Additionally, parents' own restrained eating style predicted maternal restriction of girls' access to snack foods.     

父母社会经济地位与儿童问题行为的关系:父母生育年龄的中介作用

目的 探讨父母生育年龄对父母社会经济地位与儿童问题行为的中介作用。方法 采取分层整群抽样方法,选取蚌埠市2所幼儿园和2所小学的1-3年级共834名儿童及其父母为研究对象进行问卷调查。儿童的问题行为通过长处和困难问卷进行评估,父母社会经济地位通过社会经济地位量表进行评估。采用多元线性回归和Bootstrap法构建并检验父母生育年龄对父母社会经济地位与儿童问题行为的中介效应。结果 母亲的社会经济地位(β=-0.109,P=0.003)和生育年龄(β=-0.096,P=0.007)均与儿童多动-注意不能呈负相关,母亲社会经济地位与母亲生育年龄则呈正相关(β=0.236,P<0.001)。母亲生育年龄对母亲社会经济地位和儿童多动-注意不能的部分中介效应为-0.059 (95%CI:-0.110--0.018,P=0.007)。结论 较高的母亲社会经济地位可以减少儿童多动-注意不能的发生。父母在努力提高家庭经济收入的同时,应努力提升自己的教养水平,注意儿童问题行为的发生。     

Splashpads, swings, and shade: parents' preferences for neighbourhood parks

BACKGROUND: Physical activity is a modifiable behaviour that can help curtail the increasing worldwide problem of childhood obesity. Appropriate recreational opportunities, including neighbourhood parks, are particularly important for promoting physical activity among children. Because children's use of parks is mainly under the influence of their parents, understanding parents' preferences is essential for creating the most inviting and usable park space to facilitate children's physical activity. METHODS: Eighty-two intercept interviews were conducted with a heterogeneous sample of parents/guardians watching their children at neighbourhood parks in London, Ontario. Parents/guardians were asked questions about how often they frequent the park, whether it is the closest to their residence, and their likes/dislikes for the park. Strategies to ensure trustworthiness of the data were employed. RESULTS: Interviewees attended their park of choice between 1-7 times per week with the average being 2.5 times per week. Only 49% of respondents frequented the park closest to their starting destination (home or daycare facility), and the majority travelled more than 4 km to get to the park. For those who chose to travel a significant distance to attend their park of choice, park location was not as important as the amenities they desired. Parents' main reasons for choosing parks were: water attractions, shade, swings, and cleanliness. CONCLUSIONS: The current study provides useful insights on park use with potentially important implications for increasing physical activity among children. Incorporating parents' preferences into strategies for creating or modifying city parks will help to ensure that limited public resources are being targeted most effectively in support of children's physical activity.     

Cultural aspects of the Puerto Rican cancer experience: the mother as the main protagonist

Pediatric cancer survivors are a growing group whose needs extend to multiple contexts and systems. Most studies dealing with the emotional sequelae of childhood cancer have neglected patients' and parents' perspectives. Few have dealt with issues faced by the treatment team. Our research constitutes the first attempt to gather a collective view of such experience in Puerto Rico. Using a phenomenological approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients, their mothers, and their oncology treatment team (18) at a children's hospital in Puerto Rico. Analysis followed the model proposed by Strauss and Corbin. In this article, findings directly associated with the cultural aspects of the Puerto Rican cancer experience are presented, including the mother's role--devotion and abandonment; the father's role--masculine vulnerability; and the family paradox. Mothers' protagonism was the central theme that emerged from these three categories.     

家庭环境对3~6岁儿童行为问题影响的研究

目的 调查太原市3~6岁儿童行为问题发生状况,分析家庭环境对其发生的影响,为减少儿童行为问题有针对性地采取干预措施。方法 采用Conners行为量表(CBCL)和自制家庭环境问卷对1 143名3~6岁儿童的行为及其家庭环境进行评估,并对调查结果进行统计分析。结果 单因素分析显示父母关系、父母文化程度、教育方式、父母对子女期望、是否留守儿童、亲子互动和看电视时间等这7个因素影响儿童行为发育。多元回归分析显示父母关系、亲子互动、父母对子女的期望、教育方式和留守儿童这5个家庭环境因素与儿童行为问题的发生密切相关。结论 3~6岁儿童行为问题不容忽视,要避免行为问题的发生,必须有效控制家庭环境中不利因素。     

Evaluating children's rehabilitation services: an application of a programme logic model

OBJECTIVES: To apply a programme logic model to evaluate the effectiveness of a new therapy service for children with special needs who were in transition from pre-school to kindergarten. SETTING: A children's outpatient rehabilitation centre in Ontario, Canada. MAIN OUTCOMES: The short-term outcomes included parents' perceptions of the transition process itself and the information they required, the children's skill development for the transition to kindergarten, and parents' perceptions of services and satisfaction with resources. METHODS: A combination of quantitative methods [Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS), Measure of Processes of Care (MPOC), Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ)] and qualitative interviews were used to evaluate both the process ('Outputs') and outcomes ('Short-term objectives') of the new therapy service. RESULTS: The children involved in the evaluation met or exceeded goals that were set by therapists and parents. Parents' perceptions of, and satisfaction with, the new service were higher than the provincial average. Qualitative data from interviews with parents and service providers supported the findings from standardized measures, and provided suggestions for future service delivery. CONCLUSIONS: The programme logic model provided researchers and service providers a collaborative and systematic approach to conducting programme evaluation in a relatively short-time frame. It appears to be a useful option for evaluation of other children's services.     

Parents and Drug Education: Parents' Concerns, Attitudes and Needs

Parents play a key role in their children's education and social development and therefore can be very influential to their children's learning about drugs. Despite this there has been little research done to date that explores parents' perceptions. This paper reports research from questionnaires, which sampled 947 parents of 14-16-year-olds, telephone interviews of 60 of these responses and six focus groups of primary and secondary school parents. The issues explored included parents' concerns, needs and knowledge of drugs issues in respect to their children as well as parents' perspective on drug education. The results show that parents are concerned about drugs in relation to their children, and report that drugs are easily available to young people and very much part of today's youth culture. The study revealed that parents are largely misinformed about the drug situation and request accurate and up-to-date information. They are unaware of their children's school drug policies and programmes and feel the need for easier access to relevant services. Parents rate drug education as important and report it should begin at late primary school age. Parents predominantly want their children to be taught the 'Just Say No' message. Finally, issues of communication about drugs, between parent(s) and their chiid(ren), were raised. A number of implications of the results for drug education are presented.     

儿童齿铅与智商关系流行病学研究

为探讨铅对儿童神经系统的影响。本研究在国首次用齿铅作为儿童体内铅负荷指标,以韦克斯勒学龄前儿童智力量表修订版测得的智商作为智力发育效应指标,研究了学龄前儿童龄 铅与智商的关系,并对可能影响智能商其它混杂因素进行问卷调查。     

Experiences of Parents Attending a Programme for Families of Adolescent Child Sexual Abuse Perpetrators in Ireland

The Northside Interagency Project parents' group programme is a psycho-educational support group for parents of adolescents who have committed a sexual offence. In this qualitative study of five programme participants, their self-reported psychological adjustment, self-esteem and perceived social support improved over the course of treatment. From a thematic content analysis of responses to semi-structured interviews conducted before and after the programme and midway through it a conceptual model of the processes and parents' experience in reaction to the disclosure of their sons' sexual offence was developed. The model proposes relationships between parental shock, confusion, searching and questioning, disbelief or minimisation, acceptance, shame, self-blame, guilt, anger and sadness. The model may inform future research and clinical practice with parents of adolescent child sexual abuse perpetrators.