Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #111315

Jay J. Shen, PhD¹, Phyllis Johnson, PhD², Constance Edwards, PhD, RN³, and Linda F. Samson, PhD, RN, CNAA². (1) Department of Health Administration, College of Health Professions, Governors State University, One University Parkway, University Park, IL 60466, (2) College of Health Professions, Governors State University, One University Parkway, University Park, IL 60466, (708)534-4388, l-samson@govst.edu, (3) Nursing, Governors State University, One University Parkway, University Park, IL 60466

Despite literature has indicated parental involvement being an important factor in childhood obesity treatment programs, less is known about parental participation in programs to prevent childhood obesity for children whose weights are within normal ranges. This study identified barriers for parental participation in a school-based childhood obesity prevention program that targeted the fourth grade students at four schools in two school districts in a south suburban area of Chicago, where minorities disproportionally reside. The focus group approach solicited opinions from school administrators, teachers, and parents regarding barriers of preventing parents and their children from participating in school-based childhood obesity prevention programs. Opinions were also sought with regard to strategies that should be used to increase the level of parental involvement in childhood obesity prevention programs. Seven school administrators, 22 teachers and 21 parents were interviewed or surveyed in a series of meetings between August and November 2004. Results indicated that values on health promotion, perceptions on obesity, human subject and privacy protection procedures, and process of program implementations were major barriers for parental involvement. Parental participation in childhood obesity prevention programs will remain challenging unless health, prevention strategies, and the prevention of obesity are valued. Getting children engaged, actively involving teachers, offering incentives, simplifying human subject and privacy protection implementation, and reducing parents' time commitment are likely to increase the level of the parental involvement.

Learning Objectives:

• • Identify major barriers for parental involvement in school-based childhood obesity/overweight prevention programs for all students including those whose weights are within normal ranges.
• • Identify strategies about how to increase the level of parental involvement in school-based health programs.

Keywords: Obesity, Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.