Making healthy families

Sign on side of house advertising 'Bile Beans'

Principal Investigator:

Penny Curtis (Nursing and Midwifery)

Co-applicants:

Jenny Owen (ScHARR); Graham Smith (ScHARR); Paul Ward (ScHARR)

Researcher:

Pamela Fisher

Aims and objectives:

The project aims to identify and explore: (1) assumptions about family forms and practices that underlie and inform the activities of health practitioners and para-professionals; and (2) how these are received and experienced by family members. Focusing on `food and health´ issues, the project looks at a variety of interventions provided by health professionals and para-professionals, to and through, different forms of families, in a range of settings.

Research questions:

  • What are professionals’ and para-professionals’ conceptualisations of ‘family’ and ‘healthy family’? How are these located within broader social contexts including family form and social class?
  • How do professionals and par-professionals perceive family processes and dynamics as they relate to the development and maintenance of the ‘healthy family’, across a range of disciplines and settings?
  • How do such conceptualisations and perceptions inform professionals’ and par-professionals’ interactions with families and their practice in relation to food and dietary advice?
  • What are family members’ views and experiences, concerning interactions with practitioners (in professional or support roles) who offer food and dietary-related interventions and advice?
  • How do family members view the inter-relationships between their understanding and experiences of family processes, relationships and dynamics and issues concerning food, diet and health?

Research design:

We propose a mixed-method study, combining in-depth, individual interviews with observation of multidisciplinary team meetings and of community-based initiatives on diet and health. Interviews will be conducted with professionals, para-professionals and adult members of client families. Periods of observation will focus particularly on the interaction between different professionals/para–professionals, and between these and family.