IMPACTS OF PARENTS IN THE REDUCTION OF CHILD OBESITY

Impact of parents in the reduction of child obesity

 

Objectives and Questions

The need to gain research insights and evidences pertaining to childhood obesity and such reduction intermingling parent oriented factor for reduced cases of child obesity. Research focus will be on the impact of parents in the reduction of obesity amongst children, upon utilizing case study methodological approach catering to case study survey questionnaires for Rwanda population.

 

What comprises of a parent? Do parents play a crucial role in resolving cases of obesity in children? Why? Provide examples

What are the roles of parents for the situation? And how can they act and function as a positive motivator when it comes to healthy eating and diet of their children?

 What does obesity mean in children? What assumes and integrates child obesity?

How reduction towards obesity be manifested through parental impacts of the situation? What are several of these impacts that lead to child obesity reduction? Briefly discuss and provide literature basis

Aside from parental impact in reducing child obesity, are there any other impacts and or factors that reduce childhood obesity in additional to the latter? Elaborate and name some

How parental impacts adhering to obesity reduction are to be realized and maintained in Rwanda?  

 

Sample Literature

The home environment has the potential to affect children’s energy balance and diet composition in numerous ways. Parents may influence the family environment by exposing family members to certain foods, by actively encouraging the family members to eat certain foods, or by passively allowing certain foods in the regular diets. Food related parenting practices and the physical and emotional environment in which eating and activity behaviors are developed are also important variables ( and , 1998; , ,  and , 2003; , 1988). Parents may also serve as role models for their children’s eating and activity behavior, although various studies have shown low family resemblance in food preference (, 1991). Parental behavior is important during the acquisition of the skills, whereas changes in the environment and reinforcement for new eating and exercise behaviors may be operative over follow up periods (,  and , 1990). While it is apparent that parents should be involved in treatment of obese children, there is no consensus on the how. It has been suggested that strategies that emphasize parental control over the quality and pattern of the food environment should be encouraged, whereas strict parental control over a child’s food intake should be discouraged ( and , 1998;  and , 2001; , 1996). Parenting skills were mentioned as the foundation for successful intervention that includes gradual targeted increases in activity and a targeted reduction in high fat, high calorie foods ( and , 1998). In family based behavioral weight loss programs for children, the obese child is the main agent of change, with varying degrees of parental involvement, if parenting style is the focus of treatment, the parents are the main agent of change, and they, rather than the child, should be targeted by the intervention. Thus, exclusively targeting the parents in the interventions that had family health centered approach led to weight loss in obese children (, ,  and , 1998). Parents served as source of authority and role model for their children. Parents provided an environment with fewer “obesogenic” factors and more self-regulation and healthy behavior practice. A program that omitted the obese child from direct intervention and targeted parents only was associated with greater weight loss and higher consumption of healthy foods compared with a program that treated children with the child-only condition, where they were the main agents of change (,  and , 1998).

 

 

Methodology Overview 

The main method is case study approach presenting in survey questionnaire in accordance to cases. The questionnaire will comprise of three sections for the parents to answer, these parents are not just parents having obese children but these refers to general parental role and in avoiding biases, there should fair number of parents as participants of both male and female parents as these are residents at Rwanda. A total of 50 questionnaires to be given to 50 parents these fairly present an ideal research sample. The first section will adhere to personal information of the parents such age, gender and if they are parent of obese child or not. The second and third section caters to the main questionnaire part linking to the survey statements in lieu to a five point scale system to arrive at valid and reliable discussion, analysis and interpretations. The total statements for each of the section will have to twelve so in all twenty four statements will be executed. The second section will integrate to parental influence which encourage excess food intake and idealizes thinness, play crucial role in the epidemic of childhood obesity and eating disorders. Because parents provide a child’s contextual environment, they should be considered key players in interventions aimed at preventing or treating weight-related problems. Parenting style serves as the crucial factors in fostering healthy lifestyle and awareness of internal hunger and satiety cues, with the parents as central agents of change. The third section will integrate to parents as major factors implying to management of childhood obesity through parent based approach and be delivered through parents emphasizing healthy lifestyle and not weight reduction in integrating behavioral, social learning as well as parent/family system approach. There maybe changes in parental cognition, emphasizing parenthood presence as it assume that parents do serve as amiable source of authority and role model for the obese child, providing ideal environment that fosters healthy practices related to weight control issues and personal responsibility for control of health behavior.

 

 

 

 

References

 

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