The Evolution of Mothers' Beliefs About Overweight and Obesity in Their Early School-Age Children_2016.pdf

OBJECTIVE: To identify changes in maternal beliefs, concerns,and perspectives about overweight and obesity in their childrenover a 2-year period.METHODS: A total of 37 low-income English-speakingmothers of overweight or obese children participated in 2 semistructuredinterviews, separated by about 2 years. Mean childage was 5.9 years at baseline and 8.2 years at follow-up. Motherand child anthropometric data were obtained, and motherscompleted demographic questionnaires at both time points.Mothers’ interviews were analyzed using the constant comparativemethod for longitudinal patterns of change in theirperspectives on childhood obesity across the 2 time points.RESULTS: Six longitudinal patterns of change in mothers’ perspectivesand beliefs were identified: 1) mothers’ identificationof a weight problem in their child emerges gradually, 2)mothers’ level of concern about their child overeating increases,3) mothers’ concerns about consequences of obesity intensifyand change over time, 4) mothers feel less control over theirchild’s eating and weight, 5) mothers’ efforts to manage eatingand weight become more intentional, and 6) mothers are morelikely to initiate conversations about weight as their child getsolder.CONCLUSIONS: Mothers’ concerns about children’s weightand eating habits increased, and reported weight managementstrategies became more intentional over a 2-year period. Furtherresearch should consider attending to maternal perspectives onchild weight and eating and their evolution in the developmentof family-based interventions for childhood obesity.

研究目标：明确母亲们在两年周期内，对子女超重与肥胖的认知、担忧及看法的变化情况。
研究方法：本研究共纳入37名母语为英语的低收入母亲，其子女均为超重或肥胖状态。研究对象参与了两次间隔约两年的半结构化访谈 (semistructured interviews)。基线调研时子女平均年龄为5.9岁，随访时为8.2岁。两次调研均收集了母亲与子女的人体测量学数据 (anthropometric data)，并由母亲填写人口学问卷 (demographic questionnaires)。采用持续比较法 (constant comparative method) 对母亲的访谈内容进行分析，以探究两次时间点下，母亲对儿童肥胖相关看法的纵向变化模式。
研究结果：本研究共识别出6种母亲认知与观念的纵向变化模式：1) 母亲逐渐意识到子女存在体重问题；2) 母亲对子女过量进食的担忧程度升高；3) 母亲对肥胖相关不良后果的担忧随时间推移不断加剧且发生变化；4) 母亲对子女饮食与体重的掌控感下降；5) 母亲管理子女饮食与体重的行为愈发具有计划性；6) 随着子女年龄增长，母亲更倾向于主动开启与体重相关的对话。
研究结论：在两年的研究周期内，母亲对子女体重与饮食习惯的担忧有所增加，其报告的体重管理策略也愈发具有计划性。未来相关研究应关注母亲对儿童体重与饮食的看法，以及此类看法在儿童肥胖家庭干预方案开发过程中的演变规律。