- Title
- Parents’ perceptions of the content of pre-school lunch boxes following a nutritional programme in Nelson Mandela Bay
- Creator
- Midigo, Odwour Erich
- Subject
- Children -- Nutrition
- Date Issued
- 2020
- Date
- 2020
- Type
- Thesis
- Type
- Masters
- Type
- MSc
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10948/46429
- Identifier
- vital:39587
- Description
- Rationale: Lunchboxes that parents prepare for preschool children have been noted to fall short of the recommended paediatrics dietary standards. No research has been done in Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) to describe the perceptions of parents preparing the lunch boxes, particularly in underprivileged communities, and if nutrition education strategies can improve these practices. This study answered the following research question: How can nutrition education programmes play a role in parents’ perceptions about the content of the lunchboxes of children attending early childhood development centres (ECD) in underprivileged communities of NMB metropole? Aim: The research aimed at describing and exploring parents’ perceptions of the content of pre-school children’s lunch boxes following a nutrition programme.Methods: This descriptive, explorative study adopted a qualitative approach. Twenty-five participants were selected conveniently while five pre-schools were purposively sampled. Following the nutrition programme, data was collected through five Focus Group (FG) discussions and five interviews and was thematically analysed. The ethical principles that guided the study included justice, beneficence and autonomy. Results and Discussion: Five major themes and seventeen sub-themes emerged (1) Participants described the typical foodstuff in children’s lunch boxes which included both high quality and lower-quality foods and fluids; (2) Participants provided views (such as food preferences) on lunch box choices; (3) Principals appraised lunch box rules and the significance of revised rules to improve the lunch boxes;(4) Challenges such as poverty limited healthy food choices; (5) Participants commented on initiatives noted following the nutrition training; for instance, some schools commenced the cultivation of vegetable gardens. Conclusion and Recommendations: The study highlights that specific parent programmes helped to improve healthy lunch box choices in the study population. There is a need for parent programmes tailored to fathers. Dieticians and nutritionists in NMB can train practitioners as change agents in their respective schools.
- Format
- xiii, 168 leaves
- Format
- Publisher
- Nelson Mandela University
- Publisher
- Faculty of Health Sciences
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Nelson Mandela University
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NMU School of Lifestyle Sciences
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | Midigo, OE 219973946 Dissertation April 2020.pdf | 4 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |