Dietary patterns of obese children: Maternal perceptions and experiences

ABSTRACT Objective: To understand maternal perceptions and experiences regarding the eating habits of obese children aged five to nine years. Methods: This is a qualitative research, and semi-structured interviews and discourse analysis were used to interpret narratives of 13 women from the city of Fortaleza, Ceará state, Brazil. Results: These women described the eating habits of their obese children in terms of how they eat and mentioned: eating fast, eating in front of the television, secret eating, eating large amounts of food, and the consumption of processed foods that are high in fat, sugars, and sodium. Conclusion: Seeing the mother and her obese child as a unit that needs support and guidance is a big step to plant the seeds to reap the rewards, i.e., exerting important impacts on the lives of these families and on the current scenario of childhood obesity.

摘要 研究目的：了解5至9岁肥胖儿童的母亲对其子女饮食习惯的认知与亲身经历。研究方法：本研究属于质性研究范畴，采用半结构化访谈与话语分析手段，对来自巴西塞阿拉州福塔莱萨市的13名女性的访谈叙事展开解读。研究结果：受访母亲从进食行为层面描述了其肥胖子女的饮食习惯，提及的问题包括进食速度过快、进餐时观看电视、偷偷进食、进食量过大，以及摄入高脂肪、高糖、高钠的加工食品。研究结论：将母亲与其肥胖儿童视作一个需要支持与引导的整体，是播下收获成果的重要一步——亦即对这些家庭的生活以及当前儿童肥胖的现状产生重要影响。