Bridge, GL, Willis, TA orcid.org/0000-0002-0252-9923, Evans, CEL orcid.org/0000-0002-4065-4397 et al. (2 more authors) (2019) The impact of HENRY on parenting and family lifestyle: Exploratory analysis of the mechanisms for change. Child: Care, Health and Development, 45 (6). pp. 850-860. ISSN 0305-1862
Abstract
Background
Childhood obesity is a major public health concern. In the UK, a quarter of children are overweight or obese at age five years. Overweight and obese children are more likely to develop serious health issues such as diabetes later in life. Consequently, there is an urgent need for effective, early obesity prevention and intervention. This study investigated the impact of an eight‐week child obesity intervention ‐ HENRY (Health Exercise Nutrition for the Really Young) ‐ designed to help parents with preschool children develop the skills and knowledge needed to improve family lifestyle and wellbeing. We were particularly interested in exploring the potential mechanisms by which HENRY may have a positive impact.
Method
Focus groups (n=7, total participants = 39) were completed with mothers attending the HENRY programme at one of seven locations across England. They took place within two weeks of programme completion. Follow‐up telephone interviews were completed with a subsample of participants (n=10) between 17 and 21 weeks later.
Results
Parents consistently reported enhanced self‐efficacy in terms of improved confidence in their ability to encourage healthier behaviours such as eating fruit and increasing physical activity, and improvements to family health behaviours. Many changes were reportedly sustained at follow‐up. Data provided insights into the potential mechanisms that created the conditions for the positive changes. Participants described the importance of mutual support, being listened to by facilitators and encouragement to identify their own ideas. Their comments indicated the success of a solution‐focused, strength‐based, partnership approach to supporting family lifestyle change.
Conclusion
The results of this study contribute to the body of evidence suggesting that HENRY may have a positive impact on parenting and family lifestyle behaviour. Although data were collected in 2011, the findings contribute to an understanding of the components of effective obesity prevention in young children.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved. This is the post-peer reviewed version of the following article: Bridge, GL, Willis, TA, Evans, CEL, Roberts, KPJ, Rudolf, M. The impact of HENRY on parenting and family lifestyle: Exploratory analysis of the mechanisms for change. Child Care Health Dev. 2019; 45: 850– 860, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12694. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. |
Keywords: | Child Public Health; Childhood obesity prevention; Physical Activity; Parental Education; Preschool Children; Infant |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Food Science and Nutrition (Leeds) > FSN Nutrition and Public Health (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 19 Jun 2019 13:03 |
Last Modified: | 17 Jun 2020 00:38 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Wiley |
Identification Number: | 10.1111/cch.12694 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:147486 |