Abstract
BackgroundMany children do not engage in sufficient levels of physical activity (PA) and spend too much time screen-viewing (SV). High levels of SV (e.g. watching TV, playing video games and surfing the internet) and low levels of PA have been associated with adverse health outcomes. Parenting courses may hold promise as an intervention medium to change children’s PA and SV. The current study was formative work conducted to design a new parenting programme to increase children’s PA and reduce their SV. Specifically, we focussed on interest in a course, desired content and delivery style, barriers and facilitators to participation and opinions on control group provision.MethodsIn-depth telephone interviews were conducted with thirty two parents (29 female) of 6–8 year olds. Data were analysed thematically. An anonymous online survey was also completed by 750 parents of 6–8 year old children and descriptive statistics calculated.ResultsInterview participants were interested in a parenting course because they wanted general parenting advice and ideas to help their children be physically active. Parents indicated that they would benefit from knowing how to quantify their child’s PA and SV levels. Parents wanted practical ideas of alternatives to SV. Most parents would be unable to attend unless childcare was provided. Schools were perceived to be a trusted source of information about parenting courses and the optimal recruitment location. In terms of delivery style, the majority of parents stated they would prefer a group-based approach that provided opportunities for peer learning and support with professional input. Survey participants reported the timing of classes and the provision of childcare were essential factors that would affect participation. In terms of designing an intervention, the most preferred control group option was the opportunity to attend the same course at a later date.ConclusionsParents are interested in PA/SV parenting courses but the provision of child care is essential for attendance. Recruitment is likely to be facilitated via trusted sources. Parents want practical advice on how to overcome barriers and suggest advice is provided in a mutually supportive group experience with expert input.
Highlights
Many children do not engage in sufficient levels of physical activity (PA) and spend too much time screen-viewing (SV)
Interest in attending a PA parenting course many parents from both areas said they were interested in and would go to a PA-based parenting course, this was reported more frequently by parents in the low socioeconomic status (SES) area. Parents reported they were interested in the course because they wanted ideas and advice about PA, because they wanted to help their child or because they felt it would help them with other areas of concern
The two independent sources of data that were collected in this study indicate that parents would be interested in attending a PA/SV parenting course but logistical issues may hinder attendance
Summary
Many children do not engage in sufficient levels of physical activity (PA) and spend too much time screen-viewing (SV). Screenviewing (e.g. watching TV, playing video games and surfing the internet) has been associated with increased body mass, increased risk of metabolic syndrome and lower. The majority of interventions have been based in schools and have attempted to change behaviour via the curriculum These school-based interventions have yielded either weak or inconclusive effects suggesting that alternative approaches are needed. Parental monitoring of SV and SV rules are associated with lower levels of SV among children and adolescents [18,19]. These data suggest that parents are important influences on children’s PA and SV but there is a lack of research on strategies to increase the effectiveness of parents in increasing PA and reducing SV among their children. Given the lack of research in the area, it is not clear how to optimise the design of a PA and SV parenting course
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