Mothers’ Strategies for Promoting Children’s Healthy Eating, Physical Activity, and Screen-Related Behaviors

Abstract

Parents model and teach early health practices that persist into adulthood by establishing a family culture through which children learn related family beliefs, values, and expectations. This phenomenological study examined the ways in which a purposefully selected group of mothers (selected due to their high scores on the Family Nutrition and Physical Activity screening tool) shaped family culture related to physical activity, addressed screen-time behaviors, and established positive eating related routines. Findings related to mothers’ knowledge and belief systems about parenting within this domain pointed to the impact of family health history and mothers’ own upbringing; a finding that reinforced the powerful nature of early habit formation. Mothers prioritized this parenting domain and were intentional in their efforts as they maneuvered threats from the obesigenic environment and worked to support their children’s developing autonomy over related behaviors. This study presents a strengths perspective and imparts a new narrative which serves to complement existing obesity research in representative and at-risk populations.