Parental Food Choice and Childhood Obesity

Principal Investigator:

Paul Bissell (ScHARR); Elizabeth Goyder (ScHARR)

Researcher:

Heather Clark

Aims and objectives:

Although much is known about the aetiology of obesity, the underlying psychological and social reasons why it occurs in childhood are complex and remain unclear.

This project aims to explore the influence of parents on childhood obesity; through their knowledge of nutrition, perceptions of healthy eating, awareness of obesity and associated risks, and subsequent food choice and child-feeding behaviours.

The study will use quantitative methods to investigate these influences and look for associations with local/national prevalence of childhood obesity.

Research questions:

• How do parents’ knowledge of nutrition and perceptions of healthy eating influence their food choice and child-feeding behaviours?
• How does parents’ awareness of obesity and associated risks influence their food choice and child-feeding behaviours?
• How do parents’ child-feeding behaviours influence childhood overweight/obesity?

Research design:

A comprehensive literature review will identify gaps and themes in the research, to enable development of a useful and valid survey instrument. The review will include quantitative and qualitative research, from medical (nutrition), social and behavioural science journals.

A survey will be completed by parents of primary school children (4 to 11 years) in different locations in Sheffield. Parents will be asked to complete a questionnaire about `child health and nutrition´.

Data on childhood obesity (local/national) will be used in the statistical analysis to look for associations between childhood obesity and other identified variables. Suggestions will be made for further research.