Ensuring children eat a healthy diet: a theory-driven focus group study to inform communication aimed at parents

J Pediatr Nurs. 2011 Feb;26(1):13-24. doi: 10.1016/j.pedn.2009.10.005. Epub 2009 Dec 21.

Abstract

The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) served as a framework for analyzing focus group transcripts (N = 43) focused on parents' perceptions of the challenges of ensuring their children eat a healthy diet. The results suggest that parents consider their beliefs and behaviors as individuals within a society, within families, within cultures, as inheritors of family traditions, and as parents who influence or fail to influence the attitudes and behaviors of their children. The results showed the particular salience of factors related to the TPB concepts of perceived norms and control. Approaches to building theory-driven nursing interventions are suggested.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • Cultural Characteristics
  • Diet*
  • Ethnicity
  • Family Characteristics
  • Female
  • Focus Groups
  • Health Behavior*
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  • Humans
  • Internal-External Control
  • Male
  • Nursing Research
  • Parent-Child Relations*
  • Qualitative Research
  • United States