O19 A Mindful Parenting Intervention for Obesity Prevention in Early Childhood

Abstract

BackgroundLimited evidence exists on how the quality of maternal-child interactions influences preschoolers’ eating and physical activity (PA) behaviors and environments and, ultimately, growth. A 6-week, mindful parenting intervention was developed to facilitate positive parent-child interactions during mealtimes and PA. The intervention targeted families with limited resources and was implemented with 33 mothers (35% Hispanic) of preschoolers living in rural, northeast Colorado.ObjectiveTo qualitatively describe parents’ experiences with a mindful parenting intervention, perceived changes to parent-child interactions during mealtimes and PA opportunities, and the feasibility of the intervention.Study Design, Setting, ParticipantsThirty program participants were invited to participate in post-intervention focus groups (n = 4 groups; n = 18 participants) and individual interviews (n = 26) in the Spring of 2020.Measurable Outcome/AnalysisRecordings were transcribed verbatim and uploaded into NVivo v12. Group coding was used to train coders and establish coder consensus. Three trained coders independently analyzed transcripts utilizing a directed content analysis approach to understand how mindful parenting concepts were utilized by caregivers to facilitate positive parent-child interactions.ResultsParents described utilizing key aspects of mindful parenting within the mealtime and PA contexts. They found program content “easy to understand” and implement in their daily routines. Parental focus and presence, and non-judgmental acceptance of child emerged as key themes. For example, parents described employing skills such as asking questions and listening intently to understand their preschooler's point of view. These strategies subsequently resulted in less stressful interactions with their preschooler.ConclusionA mindful parenting approach to promote quality parent-child interactions during mealtimes and PA was feasible and well accepted. Strategies related to mindful parenting were reported to positively influence how parents engaged with and communicated with their preschooler. Parents reported developing a greater understanding of their preschooler and feeling less stressed about mealtime and PA interactions. Limited evidence exists on how the quality of maternal-child interactions influences preschoolers’ eating and physical activity (PA) behaviors and environments and, ultimately, growth. A 6-week, mindful parenting intervention was developed to facilitate positive parent-child interactions during mealtimes and PA. The intervention targeted families with limited resources and was implemented with 33 mothers (35% Hispanic) of preschoolers living in rural, northeast Colorado. To qualitatively describe parents’ experiences with a mindful parenting intervention, perceived changes to parent-child interactions during mealtimes and PA opportunities, and the feasibility of the intervention. Thirty program participants were invited to participate in post-intervention focus groups (n = 4 groups; n = 18 participants) and individual interviews (n = 26) in the Spring of 2020. Recordings were transcribed verbatim and uploaded into NVivo v12. Group coding was used to train coders and establish coder consensus. Three trained coders independently analyzed transcripts utilizing a directed content analysis approach to understand how mindful parenting concepts were utilized by caregivers to facilitate positive parent-child interactions. Parents described utilizing key aspects of mindful parenting within the mealtime and PA contexts. They found program content “easy to understand” and implement in their daily routines. Parental focus and presence, and non-judgmental acceptance of child emerged as key themes. For example, parents described employing skills such as asking questions and listening intently to understand their preschooler's point of view. These strategies subsequently resulted in less stressful interactions with their preschooler. A mindful parenting approach to promote quality parent-child interactions during mealtimes and PA was feasible and well accepted. Strategies related to mindful parenting were reported to positively influence how parents engaged with and communicated with their preschooler. Parents reported developing a greater understanding of their preschooler and feeling less stressed about mealtime and PA interactions.