Children's Perceptions of Healthful Eating and Physical Activity

2010 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Lisa Penner Protudjer ◽  
Gail Marchessault ◽  
Anita Luba Kozyrskyj ◽  
Allan Barry Becker
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
High Fat ◽  
Children's Perceptions ◽  
Children’S Perceptions ◽  
Dietary Behaviours ◽  
Interview Guide ◽  
Purposeful Selection ◽  
Common Barriers

Purpose: Healthful lifestyle habits established in childhood may continue through adulthood. Such habits may also be effective in preventing or reversing overweight and obesity. However, little is known about children's perceptions of healthful eating and physical activity. Thus, we sought a better understanding of how children perceive healthful eating and physical activity. Methods: A purposeful selection was made of Winnipeg, Manitoba, boys (n=23) and girls (n=22) aged 11 to 12 years. The children were interviewed using a semi-structured, indepth interview guide. Data were analyzed using thematic coding. Results: Although healthful eating was seen as necessary for health, high-fat, high-sugar foods were a source of pleasure and enjoyed during social times. Physical activity was a way of spending time with friends, either through active play or watching sports. Boys viewed screen time and homework as barriers to physical activity, while girls identified no common barriers. Children viewed physical activity as easier than healthful eating, describing the former as “play” and “fun.” Conclusions: Knowing how children think about food choices will further our understanding of the disconnect between nutrition knowledge and dietary behaviours. Understanding conflicting pressures that influence children's healthful lifestyles may enhance communication about these topics among parents, educators, and children.

scholarly journals A Qualitative Exploration of the “Critical Window”: Factors Affecting Australian Children’s After-School Physical Activity

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Megan Stanley ◽  
Kobie Boshoff ◽  
James Dollman
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Peer Influence ◽  
Ecological Model ◽  
After School ◽  
Critical Window ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Children's Perceptions ◽  
Children’S Perceptions ◽  
Children’S Voices ◽  
School Period

Background:The after-school period is potentially a “critical window” for promoting physical activity in children. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore children’s perceptions of the factors influencing their engagement in physical activity during the after-school period as the first phase in the development of a questionnaire.Methods:Fifty-four South Australian children age 10−13 years participated in same gender focus groups. Transcripts, field notes, and activity documents were analyzed using content analysis. Through an inductive thematic approach, data were coded and categorized into perceived barriers and facilitators according to a social ecological model.Results:Children identified a number of factors, including safety in the neighborhood and home settings, distance to and from places, weather, availability of time, perceived competence, enjoyment of physical activity, peer influence, and parent influence. New insights into bullying and teasing by peers and fear of dangerous animals and objects were revealed by the children.Conclusions:In this study, hearing children’s voices allowed the emergence of factors which may not be exposed using existing surveys. These findings are grounded in children’s perceptions and therefore serve as a valuable contribution to the existing literature, potentially leading to improved intervention and questionnaire design.

Relationships between physical activity, food choices, gender and BMI in Southern Californian teenagers

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaclyn B. Gaylis ◽  
Susan S. Levy ◽  
Shiloah Kviatkovsky ◽  
Rebecca DeHamer ◽  
Mee Young Hong
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Healthy Lifestyle ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Red Meat ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Processed Meat ◽  
Healthy Weight ◽  
Cross Sectional

Abstract Given the increased prevalence of pediatric obesity and risk of developing chronic disease, there has been great interest in preventing these conditions during childhood by focusing on healthy lifestyle habits, including nutritious eating and physical activity (PA). The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between PA, body mass index (BMI) and food choices in adolescent males and females. This cross-sectional study, using a survey questionnaire, evaluated 1212 Southern Californian adolescents’ self-reported PA, BMI and food frequency. Results revealed that even though males are more active than females, they have higher BMI percentile values (p < 0.05). Females consumed salad, vegetables and fruit more frequently than males (p < 0.05), where males consumed hamburgers, pizza, red meat, processed meat, eggs, fish, fruit juice, soda and whole milk more frequently than females (p < 0.05). Overweight/obese teens consumed red meat, processed meat and cheese more frequently than healthy weight teens (p < 0.05), yet there was no difference in PA between healthy and overweight/obese teens. These results demonstrate that higher levels of PA may not counteract an unhealthy diet. Even though PA provides numerous metabolic and health benefits, this study suggests that healthy food choices may have a protective effect against overweight and obesity. Healthy food choices, along with PA, should be advocated to improve adolescent health by encouraging maintenance of a healthy weight into adulthood.

Are Children's Perceptions Of Neighbourhood Environments Associated With Their Physical Activity?

2008 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement) ◽  
pp. S29
Author(s):  
Clare Hume ◽  
Jo Salmon ◽  
Michelle Jorna ◽  
Kylie Ball ◽  
David Crawford
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Children's Perceptions ◽  
Children’S Perceptions

CHILDREN'S PERCEPTIONS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR ADULTS: APPROPRIATENESS AND COMPETENCY

1998 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement) ◽  
pp. 120
Author(s):  
B. Behlendorf ◽  
R. Holmes ◽  
E. Bost ◽  
C. Vos Strache ◽  
P. MacRae
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Children's Perceptions ◽  
Children’S Perceptions

scholarly journals Self-reported use of nutrition labels to make food choices is associated with healthier dietary behaviours in adolescents

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (13) ◽  
pp. 2329-2339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amier Haidar ◽  
Felicia R Carey ◽  
Nalini Ranjit ◽  
Natalie Archer ◽  
Deanna Hoelscher
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Parent Education ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Nutrition Knowledge ◽  
Healthy Weight ◽  
Nutrition Label ◽  
Nutrition Labels ◽  
Dietary Behaviours ◽  
Label Use

AbstractObjectiveThe study aimed to examine nutrition label use and dietary behaviours among ethnically diverse middle- and high-school students, in Texas, USA.DesignThe School Physical Activity and Nutrition (SPAN) survey is a cross-sectional statewide study using a self-administered questionnaire to assess nutrition and physical activity behaviours. Height and weight measurements were used to determine BMI. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine associations between nutrition label use and dietary behaviours, with gender, grade, ethnicity, BMI, parent education, socio-economic status and nutrition knowledge as covariates.SettingParticipants from 283 schools, weighted to represent Texas youth.SubjectsSPAN 2009–2011 included 6716 8th and 11th graders (3465 girls and 3251 boys). The study population consisted of 39·83 % White/Other, 14·61 % African-American and 45·56 % Hispanic adolescents; with a mean age of 14·9 years, and 61·95 % at a healthy weight, 15·71 % having overweight and 22·34 % having obesity.ResultsAdolescents who did not use nutrition labels had 1·69 times greater odds of consuming ≥1 sugary beverages/d (P<0·05). Adolescents who used nutrition labels had 2·13 times greater odds of consuming ≥1 fruits and vegetables/d (P<0·05). Adolescents who used nutrition labels had significantly higher healthy eating scores than those who did not (P<0·001). For every 1-point increase in nutrition knowledge, adolescents had 1·22 greater odds of using nutrition labels.ConclusionsNutrition label use is associated with healthier dietary behaviours in adolescents. Intervention strategies for youth should include efforts to teach adolescents to use labels to make healthy food choices.

Do You Hear What I Hear? Overweight Children’s Perceptions of Different Physical Activity Settings

2011 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 393-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen S. Meaney ◽  
Melanie A. Hart ◽  
L. Kent Griffin
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Cognitive Theory ◽  
After School ◽  
Summer Program ◽  
Activity Settings ◽  
Children's Perceptions ◽  
Children’S Perceptions ◽  
American Children

Social-Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1986, 1999) served as the framework to explore overweight children’s perceptions of different physical activity settings. Participants were children (n = 67) enrolled in an after-school and summer program for overweight African-American and Hispanic-American children from low-income families. To gain insight into the children’s thoughts encompassing their participation in both the after school/summer program and their physical education classes at their respective elementary schools, all of the children individually participated in semistructured interviews. Children enjoyed their involvement in the after-school/summer program and described social, physical, and cognitive benefits related to their participation. Interview data also revealed children’s ideas and suggestions for adapting physical education to enhance participation in physical activity. Based on these results, instructional and management strategies focusing on promoting a nurturing environment in physical activity settings for all children (overweight and nonoverweight) are presented and discussed.

Differences in physical activity, eating habits and risk of obesity among Kuwaiti adolescent boys and girls: a population-based study

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanan E. Badr ◽  
S. Fatima Lakha ◽  
Peter Pennefather
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Population Based Study ◽  
School Based ◽  
Lifestyle Education ◽  
Skipping Breakfast

Abstract The study aimed to assess gender differences among Kuwaiti adolescents in healthy living choices that impact the risk of obesity. A cross-sectional multistage cluster design was employed with a representative sample of 2672 students aged 13–15 years who completed a self-administered Global School-based Student Health (GSHS) survey. The study found that around 48.0% of adolescents were overweight and obese. More boys than girls were obese (28.2% vs. 22.3%, p < 0.0001). However, boys were more likely than girls to report healthy food choices regarding fruit (38.1% vs. 33.2%), and vegetables (21.8% vs. 16.7%). Only 20.7% of adolescents reported physical activity for more than 60 min/day, predominately by boys rather than girls (30.8% vs. 10.5%, respectively, p < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis revealed that male gender, skipping breakfast and physical inactivity were significantly correlated with the risk of overweight and obesity among adolescents. These results suggest that lifestyle education for promoting healthy body masses targeting adolescents should take gender into account.

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