Methodological Problems in Direct Observation of Children's Dietary and Activity Behaviors

Abstract

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in English; abstract also in Chinese.The purpose of this research paper is to report the methodological difficulties which resulted from a study first conducted in the US and replicated in Hong Kong. Using the Behavior of Eating and Activity for Children's Health Evaluation System (BEACHES). Forty participants between the age of 6 and 8 drawn from middle income areas of the city were selected. Eight research assistants set up 4 1-hour home observations and 6 20-minute observations in the school during the recess period. The implication of the present study is that the instrumentation and the method created interference to the extent that the research interval, in which the participants were observed, failed to represent the normal behavior patterns especially those related to dietary behaviors. Specifically, the interactive impact and the cultural differences undetected by the research instrument are significant problems which demand consideration for future direct observational research.本研究旨在討論應用「直接觀察法」在學童飮食及活動行爲研究時所出現的問題。採用BEACHES研究工具直接觀察本地四十位6至8歲學童在學校小息及家庭中的行爲模式。研究結果顯示在使用直接觀察法及BEACHES工具時所遇到的問題，體育同工在選擇應用同類的研究方法及工具時，應注意有關文化差異等問題。