Why don't low-income mothers worry about their preschoolers being overweight?
Why don't low-income mothers worry about their preschoolers being overweight?
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DOI：
10.1542/peds.107.5.1138
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发表时间：
2001-05-01
期刊：
影响因子：
8
通讯作者：
Whitaker, RC
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Jain, A;Sherman, SN;Whitaker, RC
上下文母亲在通过塑造早期饮食和活动模式来预防儿童肥胖方面处于重要地位。然而，许多超重学龄前儿童的母亲并不担心孩子的体重。探讨母亲们对如何判断孩子是否超重、为什么孩子会超重以及预防或管理儿童肥胖存在哪些障碍的看法。三个焦点小组，每个小组有6名参与者。参与者的评论被转录和分析。主题由6位作者独立编码，然后他们同意共同的主题。俄亥俄州辛辛那提妇女、婴儿和儿童特殊补充营养计划的一个诊所。18名学龄前儿童（平均年龄44个月）的低收入母亲（13名黑人，5名白色）有日后肥胖的风险。除1名母亲外，所有母亲的体重指数（BMI）均大于或等于25 kg/m（2），12名母亲的BMI大于或等于30 kg/m（2）。除1名儿童外，所有儿童的BMI均大于或等于年龄和性别的第85百分位数，7名儿童的BMI大于或等于第95百分位数。母亲们并没有根据健康专业人员使用的标准生长图表上的身高和体重测量结果来定义孩子的超重或肥胖。相反，母亲们更有可能认为被嘲笑体重或身体活动受限是孩子超重的指标。如果孩子们活跃，饮食健康和/或胃口好，他们就不会被认为超重。母亲们把超重的孩子描述为粗壮或结实。母亲们认为，无论环境因素如何，超重的遗传倾向都可能在孩子身上表现出来。在试图塑造孩子的饮食时，母亲们认为，她们对孩子饮食的控制受到了其他家庭成员的挑战。如果一个孩子饿了，尽管刚刚吃过，这是情感上很难的母亲拒绝额外的食物。卫生专业人员不应该认为根据生长图表定义超重对所有母亲都有意义。尽管母亲和卫生专业人员对超重的定义有不同的看法，但两组人都认为孩子应该参加体育活动并有健康的饮食。卫生专业人员通过关注他们与母亲共同的这些目标，而不是给儿童贴上超重的标签，可能会更有效地预防儿童肥胖。
Context. Mothers are in an important position to prevent obesity in their children by shaping early diet and activity patterns. However, many mothers of overweight preschool children are not worried about their child's weight.Objective. To explore mothers' perceptions about how they determine when a child is overweight, why children become overweight, and what barriers exist to preventing or managing childhood obesity.Design. Three focus groups with 6 participants in each. Participant comments were transcribed and analyzed. Themes were coded independently by the 6 authors who then agreed on common themes.Setting. A clinic of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children in Cincinnati, Ohio.Participants. Eighteen low-income mothers (13 black, 5 white) of preschool children (mean age of 44 months) who were at-risk for later obesity. All but 1 mother had a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 25 kg/m(2), and 12 mothers had a BMI greater than or equal to 30 kg/m(2). All but 1 child had a BMI greater than or equal to 85th percentile for age and sex, and 7 had a BMI greater than or equal to 95th percentile.Results. Mothers did not define overweight or obese in their children according to how height and weight measurements were plotted on the standard growth charts used by health professionals. Instead, mothers were more likely to consider being teased about weight or developing limitations in physical activity as indicators of their child being overweight. Children were not believed to be overweight if they were active and had a healthy diet and/or a good appetite. Mothers described overweight children as thick or solid. Mothers believed that an inherited tendency to be overweight was likely to be expressed in the child regardless of environmental factors. In trying to shape their children's eating, mothers believed that their control over the child's diet was challenged by other family members. If a child was hungry, despite having just eaten, it was emotionally difficult for mothers to deny additional food.Conclusions. Health professionals should not assume that defining overweight according to the growth charts has meaning for all mothers. Despite differing perceptions between mothers and health professionals about the definition of overweight, both groups agree that children should be physically active and have healthy diets. Health professionals may be more effective in preventing childhood obesity by focusing on these goals that they share with mothers, rather than on labeling children as overweight.