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.