A thematic overview of African American fathers' perceived influence over their children's health and weight status

Introduction: Overweight/obese children have a heightened risk of becoming overweight/obese adults, which makes these individuals more at risk for weight-related health conditions throughout their lifespan. African American children and parents alike are overrepresented in this at-risk group. While much research exists on maternal influences on their children's health, little is available on parental influences. Therefore, more efforts are needed to explore fathers' impact on their children's health. Purpose: To explore African American fathers' (AAF) perceptions of their influence over their children's health, with special emphasis on overweight and obesity. Methods: Participants (N=20) were recruited via purposive snowballing, completed a demographic questionnaire and participated in a focus group. The semi-structured interview elicited AAFs' opinions about the best sources of health information for their children and their perceived role (if any) in their children's health. Data saturation was reached upon the third focus group. Audio recordings of the focus groups were transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed with Atlas.ti.5.3. Results: Four major themes were revealed: AAFs' perceptions about [1] Appropriate health education for their children (should first and foremost be delivered by parents), [2] Their parental health-related guidance approach (reactive, rather than proactive), [3] Influences on health-related communication with their children (gender roles, efficacy constraints), and [4] Parental definitions of health (mostly synonymous with diet). Conclusion: Understanding African American fathers' perceived role in their children's health and obesity prevention can inform initiatives that actively engage these men, and nurture their level of involvement, to promote positive health behaviors among their children.