Dataset Information

Shaping healthy habits in children with neurodevelopmental and mental health disorders: parent perceptions of barriers, facilitators and promising strategies.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Prevalence of pediatric neurodevelopmental and mental health disorders (ND/MHD) is increasing in the United States and globally. ND/MHD are associated with higher risk of poor dietary, physical activity (PA), screen, and sleep habits in youth, contributing to elevated lifetime chronic disease risk. ND/MHD symptoms can present unique challenges to parenting, create competing parenting priorities, and may decrease parental capacity to instill healthy habits. Unfortunately, literature characterizing parenting of health habits in youth with ND/MHD is sparse. The objective of this study was to describe barriers to, facilitators of, and practical strategies for parenting healthy lifestyle habits in children and teens with ND/MHD.

Methods

We conducted semi-structured interviews with parents whose children with diagnosed ND/MHD were attending a Boston-area therapeutic day school serving K-10th grade. Interviews allowed parents to focus on parenting PA, diet, sleep, and/or screen habits as context for questions. Interviews were transcribed, double-coded using constant comparative methods, and summarized into themes using NVivo 11.

Results

We interviewed 24 parents; average age of their child with ND/MHD was 11.2?years (range: 8-15). Most had a son (75%) with multiple ND/MHD (88%); diagnoses included autism spectrum disorder (50%), attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (67%), anxiety (67%), and other mood disorders (58%). Major barriers to parenting all types of health habits included depleted parent resources, child dysregulation, lack of supportive programming available to children with ND/MHD, and medication side effects. Major facilitators included participation in specialized therapeutic options, adaptive community programs and schools, as well as parents' social capital. Effective parenting strategies included setting clear, often structural boundaries, using positive reinforcement, allowing agency by presenting healthy choices, and use of role modeling to promote healthy habits. Almost one third of parents extensively discussed the role of pets or therapy animals as key to establishing and maintaining healthy routines, particularly PA and screen-time management.

Conclusions

Parenting healthy habits in children with ND/MHD is difficult and is undermined by competing demands on parenting resources. To reduce chronic disease disparities and promote health in this population, future research must better adapt existing health promotion materials and programs to more practically support parents in multiple settings including home, schools and community organizations.

SUBMITTER: Bowling A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6595579 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Shaping healthy habits in children with neurodevelopmental and mental health disorders: parent perceptions of barriers, facilitators and promising strategies.

Bowling April A Blaine Rachel E RE Kaur Raghbir R Davison Kirsten K KK

The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity 20190626 1

<h4>Objective</h4>Prevalence of pediatric neurodevelopmental and mental health disorders (ND/MHD) is increasing in the United States and globally. ND/MHD are associated with higher risk of poor dietary, physical activity (PA), screen, and sleep habits in youth, contributing to elevated lifetime chronic disease risk. ND/MHD symptoms can present unique challenges to parenting, create competing parenting priorities, and may decrease parental capacity to instill healthy habits. Unfortunately, litera ...[more]

PMID: 31242904

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundDigital mental health promotion interventions (MHPIs) present a scalable opportunity to attenuate the risk of mental health distress among nonclinical cohorts. However, adherence is frequently suboptimal, and little is known about participants' perspectives concerning facilitators and barriers to adherence in community-based settings.ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine participants' perceptions of facilitators and barriers to adherence in a web- and mobile app-based MHPI for a nonclinical cohort.MethodsThis qualitative study used inductive, reflexive thematic analysis to explore free-text responses in a postintervention evaluation of a 10-week digital MHPI. The intervention was administered using a web and mobile app from September to December 2018. Participants (N=320) were Australian and New Zealand members of a faith-based organization who self-selected into the study, owned a mobile phone with messaging capability, had an email address and internet access, were fluent in English, provided informed consent, and gave permission for their data to be used for research. The postintervention questionnaire elicited participants' perceptions of facilitators and barriers to adherence during the intervention period.ResultsKey factors that facilitated adherence were engaging content, time availability and management, ease of accessibility, easy or enjoyable practical challenges, high perceived value, and personal motivation to complete the intervention. The primary perceived barrier to adherence was the participants' lack of time. Other barriers included completing and recording practical activities, length of video content, technical difficulties, and a combination of personal factors.ConclusionsTime scarcity was the foremost issue for the nonclinical cohort engaged in this digital MHPI. Program developers should streamline digital interventions to minimize the time investment for participants. This may include condensed content, optimization of intuitive web and app design, simplified recording of activities, and greater participant autonomy in choosing optional features. Nonetheless, participants identified a multiplicity of other interindividual factors that facilitated or inhibited adherence.

Project description:BackgroundIn Australia, about 1 in 3 chiropractors choose not to belong to either of the two professional associations and this is considerably lower compared to other health professional organisations in this country. The reasons for this remain unknown. We sought to explore possible reasons by asking chiropractic students their perceptions of barriers and facilitators to joining a professional association. However, we were unable to identify validated survey instruments that could be used to obtain information about reasons for joining health professional associations.AimTherefore, the objectives of this study were to: 1) develop a survey instrument that captures information about what influences chiropractic students in joining professional association; and 2) identify factors that promote association membership among chiropractic students.MethodsA literature review was undertaken to identify known determinants of professional association membership and were used to construct a preliminary survey instrument, which comprised 47 items. Six fourth-year chiropractic students assessed the preliminary survey instrument's content validity. Principal components analysis was used to establish the structure of the scales. Cronbach's alpha was derived to determine whether all items in each scale tapped a discrete construct. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between the scale scores and having joined a chiropractic professional association.ResultsIn March 2019, 348 chiropractic students from Murdoch University (71.0%) responded to a voluntary, anonymous questionnaire. Principal components analysis resulted in the retention of 21 items that strongly loaded onto 6 factors. Internal consistency was found to be adequate. The results of the logistic regression analysis demonstrated that only "development of the profession" was significantly associated with have joined a professional chiropractic association (p?=?0.049, OR?=?2.22; 95% CI?=?1.26-3.40).ConclusionChiropractic organisations can probably most effectively increase membership numbers through raising awareness of their contribution to the development of the profession.

Project description:BackgroundFrom a public health perspective there is growing interest in children's play, including play involving risk and adventure, in relation to children's physical and mental health. Regarding mental health, it is theorised that adventurous play, where children experience thrilling, exciting emotions, offers important learning opportunities that prepare children for dealing with uncertainty and help prevent anxiety. Despite these benefits, adventurous play has decreased substantially within a generation. Parents have a key role in facilitating or limiting children's opportunities for adventurous play, but research identifying the barriers and facilitators parents perceive in relation to adventurous play is scarce. The present study therefore examined the barriers to and facilitators of adventurous play as perceived by parents of school-aged children in Britain.MethodsThis study analysed data from a subsample of parents in Britain (n = 377) who participated in the nationally representative British Children's Play Survey. Parents responded to two open-ended questions pertaining to the barriers to and facilitators of children's adventurous play. Responses were analysed using a qualitative Framework Analysis, an approach suitable for managing large datasets with specific research questions.ResultsFour framework categories were identified: Social Environment; Physical Environment; Risk of Injury; Child Factors. Social Environment included barriers and facilitators related to parents, family and peers, as well as community and society. Dominant themes within the Social Environment related to perceptions about the certainty of child safety, such as supervision and the safety of society. Beliefs about the benefits of adventurous play for development and well-being were also important in the Social Environment. Physical Environment factors focused on safety and practical issues. Risk of Injury captured concerns about children being injured during play. Child Factors included child attributes, such as play preference, developmental ability and trait-like characteristics.ConclusionsImproved understanding of what influences parent perceptions of adventurous play can inform public health interventions designed to improve children's opportunities for and engagement in adventurous play, with a view to promote children's physical and mental health.

Dataset Information

Shaping healthy habits in children with neurodevelopmental and mental health disorders: parent perceptions of barriers, facilitators and promising strategies.

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Shaping healthy habits in children with neurodevelopmental and mental health disorders: parent perceptions of barriers, facilitators and promising strategies.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets