Needs Assessment of Nutrition Education for Preschoolers and Their Parents using Focus Group Interview

Abstract

This study investigated the demand of nutrition education programs among parents. Focus group interview was conducted four times with 29 parents of children. Most subjects appeared to have interest in nutrition education; very (58.6%), somewhat (20.7%). Sources of nutrition information were internet (35.1%), books (21.6%), newspaper or magazines (13.5%), family or relatives (13.5%), media (8.1%), preschool (5.4%) and hospital or public health center (2.7%) in order. The most frequently mentioned health problems related to dietary behavior were atopy and obesity. Major concerns for childrens dietary behavior was picky eating habits, and having questions for how to deal with this problem. Most subjects had trouble with obtaining an adequate amount of dietary supplements for their children. Nutrition education for parents about food labeling and information on processed foods was in demand. Preferred methods of nutrition education for children were playing games with stickers, gardening vegetables, and participating in cooking. Attitudes toward computer-assisted education materials, one of the methods of nutrition education, appeared to be ambivalent. Some parents showed negative attitudes towards exposing their children to electronic devices at an early age, whereas others showed positive attitudes. Subjects were interested in meal-planning and ways to balance nutrients for their child. Parents preferred attending professional lectures to receive reading materials or searching websites as an adult nutrition education method. Results of this study have implications on providing basic information for developing nutrition education programs for preschoolers and their parents. Future research should focus on developing nutrition education programs for both preschools and the home.