Conventional Food: Its Impact on Wellness Promotion and Illness Prevention

Suchitra MR; Dr.Govindaraju P

doi:10.65188/nurexus.1011

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Journal of MedVerse Research & Practice

Conventional Food: Its Impact on Wellness Promotion and Illness

Prevention

Dr.Suchitra MR

1

, Dr.Govindaraju P

2

1

Assistant Professor, Department of biosciences, SASTRA(SRC), Thanjavur

2

Professor, Vinayaka Missions College of Nursing, Affiliated to VMRF Salem AVMC campus,

Puducherry

Email ID:suchitamr@gmail.com,

Submission Date: 23.12.2024

Accepted Date: 18.01.2025

Published Date: 28.01.2025

DOI: 10.65188/nurexus.1011

article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits

unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.

Abstract

Background: Children’s dietary habits and physical activity patterns are influenced by parental beliefs, family

routines, and perceptions of healthy development.

Objective: To explore parents’ perspectives on the eating habits and physical activity of children aged 6–8 years.

Methods: This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with 50 parents from 35 families associated with a

public school in a socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhood. Interviews explored parental views on

children’s food preferences, eating patterns, physical activity, and parental responsibilities in promoting healthy

behaviours. Interview transcripts were coded and analysed thematically, with NVivo software used to support data

organization and coding.

Results: Three broad themes were identified: parental perceptions of a healthy lifestyle, family priorities

concerning children’s nutrition and exercise, and parental influence on children’s dietary and activity choices.

Parents commonly expressed concerns about inadequate food intake and valued dietary variety. Some perceived

their children as sufficiently active and did not consider additional structured exercise necessary. Parental beliefs

influenced food provision, portion control, and decisions regarding children’s activities.

Conclusion: Parental perceptions play an important role in shaping children’s dietary habits and physical activity

patterns. Culturally sensitive health-promotion strategies should encourage balanced nutrition, age-appropriate

physical activity, and supportive feeding practices. As the study was conducted in a single school and involved a

limited number of families, the findings should be interpreted within the context of the study population.

Keywords: Parental perceptions; child nutrition; dietary habits; physical activity; qualitative research; health

promotion.

Introduction

Traditional foods, often prepared using local, seasonal, and unprocessed ingredients, are deeply rooted in

cultural heritage and nutritional wisdom. These foods provide essential vitamins, minerals, and bioactive

compounds that contribute to a balanced diet and overall well-being [1-3]. Their natural preparation

methods help retain nutritional value while avoiding artificial additives, promoting better health

outcomes. Regular consumption of such foods has been linked to the prevention of chronic conditions

like obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases [4].

The concept of food as medicine dates back to ancient civilizations, which recognized the role of diet in

disease prevention and health promotion. Nutrient-rich diets support immune function, regulate body

weight, and lower the risk of metabolic disorders [5]. Additionally, traditional food practices strengthen

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

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cultural identity and foster social well-being, highlighting their broader significance beyond nutrition.

This study explores parental perspectives on food choices and lifestyle decisions for their children,

assessing their impact on dietary habits, physical activity, and overall health. Understanding these

influences is essential for shaping healthier future generations. [6-8] Research has underscored the

importance of diet in disease prevention. emphasized the need for health professionals to overcome

challenges in promoting well-balanced diets. analyzed modern dietary trends, while highlighting the

therapeutic properties of fenugreek. Studies have stressed the importance of dietary modifications in

managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Furthermore, noted that professional guidance is essential

in dietary planning for individuals with chronic kidney disease. [9-12]

Research has investigated the impact of fermented foods on intestinal health and disease prevention.

Studies have explored their potential advantages, while other research has emphasized the enduring health

benefits associated with Mediterranean-style diets. Lignans have been recognized as bioactive compounds

that may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, and certain types of cancer. [13,14]

With the increasing incidence of diseases related to lifestyle choices, diet plays a critical role in

determining long-term health outcomes. This research seeks to deepen our understanding of how parents

influence their children's nutritional habits and lifestyle choices, with the ultimate aim of encouraging

healthier eating patterns from childhood onward.[15]

Materials and methods

Study Design

A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews to explore parents’ perceptions of

their children’s dietary habits and physical activity. The interviews formed part of a broader investigation

into children’s behaviour and the family factors that may influence dietary choices and activity patterns.

The qualitative approach enabled an in-depth exploration of parental beliefs, experiences, and decision-

making.

Study Setting

The study was conducted among families associated with a public school in a neighbourhood described as

having relatively low parental socioeconomic and educational backgrounds. Eligible participants were

parents of children aged 6–8 years enrolled in the selected school. This age group was selected because

childhood is an important period for the development of dietary and physical activity patterns.

Study Population

The study population consisted of parents of children aged 6–8 years enrolled in the selected public

school. This age group was specifically considered because it represents an important period for the

development of eating and physical activity patterns and the period of adiposity rebound.

Participant Recruitment and Sampling

All 91 families associated with the selected school were invited to participate in the study. Parents were

approached during parent-teacher meetings or invited through letters sent home with their children. A

total of 50 parents from 35 families agreed to participate. The recruitment process aimed to include

parents with diverse perspectives and family circumstances relevant to children’s dietary habits, physical

activity, and factors associated with overweight and obesity.

Data Collection Procedure

Semi-structured interviews explored parents’ perceptions of their children’s food preferences, eating

habits, physical activity, and daily routines. Interviews were conducted at locations convenient to

participants, including their homes and the school. The interviews lasted approximately 40–50 minutes,

were audio-recorded, and were transcribed verbatim for analysis. The interview guide included questions

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about children’s typical daily routines, dietary choices, activity patterns, and parental approaches to health

promotion.

Qualitative Data Analysis

Interview transcripts were reviewed repeatedly to identify statements relevant to children’s dietary habits,

physical activity, and parental decision-making. Initial codes were developed from meaningful sections of

the transcripts and subsequently organized into broader categories and themes. Research memos were

maintained to document coding decisions, analytical reflections, and emerging interpretations. Qualitative

data-analysis software was used to organize and retrieve coded material. The resulting categories and

themes were reviewed in relation to the interview data.

Ethical Considerations: Ethical clearance was obtained from the Institutional Ethics Committee before

commencement of the study. Informed consent was obtained from the participating parents before data

collection. Participants were informed about the purpose of the study, and participation was voluntary.

Confidentiality and anonymity were maintained during data handling and reporting, and the collected

information was used solely for research purposes.

Results

The interview analysis identified three broad themes: parental perceptions of a healthy lifestyle, family

priorities concerning children's nutrition and physical activity, and the parental role in shaping children's

dietary and activity choices. Parents discussed their understanding of a balanced diet, concerns about

children's food intake and selective eating, and perceptions of children's everyday activity levels. The

findings also highlighted how parental beliefs influenced meal provision, expectations regarding food

consumption, and decisions about children's opportunities for play and other activities.

Table 1: Interviews with participants were conducted

Participants

Both parents

Mother alone

Father alone

Total

Number of interviews

10

20

5

35

Number of parents taking part

25

20

5

50

Most families consisted of two adults and their children, though some were headed by divorced or

separated women. The respondents were primarily stay-at-home mothers, with over half engaged in

part-time or full-time employment. Approximately half of the participants had completed secondary

education, while the rest had attended trade schools or colleges. Among the participating families, four

had overweight children, six had obese children, and the remaining 25 had children of healthy weight.

The study examined various family characteristics, eating and activity habits, and social factors to

identify contributors to overweight and obesity. Table 1 presents the interviews with participants.

Table 2: Topics Explored During Interviews with Parents

Topics used to examine parental perspectives

The children's consumption of certain foods, or their absence

Children's unstructured or structured, solo or group activities

How they raised their kids' food-related decisions

choosing extracurricular activities

Children's unstructured or structured, solo or group activities

Information and other requirements for keeping their kids at a healthy weight

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The research involved 35 in-depth, informal discussions with parents. Some couples (12) chose joint

interviews, while most preferred individual sessions. The conversational nature allowed parents to

freely share experiences and perspectives. Interviews were conducted at convenient locations, either at

parents' homes or the school. To initiate dialogue, researchers often began with questions like, "Could

you describe a typical day with your children?" Follow-up questions were used to delve deeper into

responses. A topic list was developed to ensure comprehensive coverage of relevant topics, facilitating

the interview flow when answers were brief or lacked detail. Interviews averaged 40 to 50 minutes.

Participants provided verbal consent before their interviews were recorded using a digital device.

Recordings were transcribed verbatim for analysis.

Table 3: Theme 1, Divisions and subdivisions for “healthy lifestyle”

Healthy lifestyle

Divisions

Subdivisions

Healthy diet

Variety, harmony, and fullness

Perceptions of healthy and unhealthy

foods

Traditional foods have value

Being active

Engaging in routine activities

Playing outside and participating in

extracurricular activities

As additional readings revealed patterns in beliefs, attitudes, and decisions, descriptive labels tended to

consolidate into smaller groups with more general and abstract categories. Categories were adjusted to

accommodate contradictory, negative, and confirmed cases. Table 3 illustrates the categories and

subcategories for a "healthy lifestyle".

Table 4: Theme 2, Divisions and subdivisions of participants' preferences for children's

food and activity

Participants

preference

Divisions

Subdivisions

Eating patterns

Picky eating is a frequent habit.

Under eating causes anxiety.

Positive perception of being a

heavy eater.

Activity patterns

Being calm, quiet, acting

properly, and maintaining

equilibrium.

It's normal for kids to be active

Parents believe a nutritious diet should be well-rounded, focusing on the nature, composition, and

proportion of each food item rather than overall quantity. They categorize foods as either beneficial or

detrimental. A wholesome diet includes vegetables, fruits, legumes, fish, dairy products, and olive oil. It's

crucial to limit the consumption of sweets, candies, commercially produced baked goods, and fast food,

as well as reduce salt, sugar, and fat intake. Parents strongly value and trust traditional foods, organically

grown produce from home gardens, or regional dishes they consumed while growing up (such as chorizo,

pork, legumes, vegetables, local fruits, and cow's milk). They associate industrially produced, quick, and

pre-made foods like hamburgers and pizza with fast food establishments, contemporary culture, and

obesity-related health problems. Table 4 illustrates parental perspectives on a healthy lifestyle.

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Being active

For parents, an energetic child was primarily defined by their involvement in daily activities, ability to

move and play without issues, and academic success. They associated engagement with outdoor play in

public areas like schoolyards, plazas, and streets, as well as participation in school gymnastics and other

extracurricular pursuits. Being active also included limiting excessive use of electronic devices.

Surprisingly, many parents didn't consider organized sports or structured fitness routines necessary for a

child to be deemed active. They also didn't view typical daily activities like walking to school or opting

for stairs over elevators as essential for being active.

Table 5: Theme 3 ‘Parental role’: divisions, subdivisions

Parental role

Divisions

Subdivisions

Ensuring adequate food

intake

Understanding the needs of their kids

Ensuring a large and varied supply

Education (teaching principles, self-

discipline, and self- regulation)

Promoting children's

psychological and

emotional well-being

Helping children identify suitable activities

The Promotion of Socialization

Parents observed that children can be selective and picky eaters, often rejecting certain foods.

Interestingly, they hypothesized an inverse relationship between parental classification of meals and

children's preferences, with kids often favoring items their parents considered less nutritious. Parents

were worried about the quantity and variety of food their children consumed, expressing satisfaction

when meals were finished and diverse foods were tried. Being a hearty eater was viewed positively, and

parents became worried if they felt their children weren't eating enough. Undereating was perceived as a

potential threat to children's growth, development, and health, with concerns about possible connections

to eating disorders. Parents of picky eaters often worried about their children's eating habits, while those

with well-fed, robust children felt proud. Some parents saw their children's large appetites as a

reflection of their successful parenting. Table 5 illustrates the parental role in their children's eating

habits.

Table 6: Healthcare promotion at base, mid, and end of the decade for various disciplines

Disciplines

Percentage (%)

Baseline

Mid-decade

End of Decade

Baccalaureate nursing

98

97

Nurse practitioner

95

85

93

Medicine-DO

97

99

97

Medicine-MD

99

97

Pharmacy

95

90

96

Physician Assistant

97

85

99

Most parents believed their children were active due to observing them moving and engaging in various

activities. However, when considering children's self-reports and school activities, it appeared that kids

were less energetic than their parents assumed. Parents noted varying degrees of physical activity, and

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occasionally viewed having "very active" children positively. They associated excessive activity with

restlessness, indicating potential concern about hyperactivity. Parents valued calm and quiet behavior in

children, or minimal movement and inactivity. This conduct was perceived as a desirable trait, as

parents linked it to good behavior and balance. Table 6 illustrate healthcare promotion across different

disciplines at the beginning, middle, and end of the decade.

Perceived roles of parents: Ensuring ingestion

Caregivers encouraged their children to consume all their meals, feeling responsible for their nutritional

intake. They believed they were best equipped to determine the appropriate types and quantities of food

for their offspring, assuming that if left to their own devices, children would not make healthy dietary

choices. Those who valued food beyond its monetary worth also saw mealtime as an opportunity to

educate their children about avoiding waste. They aimed to instill self-discipline and autonomous eating

habits in their children. In this context, self-regulation meant adapting to the portions provided by

parents without constant prompting to finish meals. However, children were not given the freedom to

decide their own portion sizes. This approach appears to prioritize compliance over genuine self-

control.

Table 7: Report rate for the health promotion and disease

Discipline

Rate (%)

Inadequate

Problematic

Sufficient

Excellent

Health care

23.4

38.2

33.7

5.4

Disease

prevention

28.7

33.9

31.4

8.4

Health

promotion

28.6

31.7

23.4

8.9

Caregivers believed their children were sufficiently active and didn't need additional exercise. Rather

than focusing on physical exertion, they prioritized guiding and supporting their kids in exploring

activities that enhanced socialization, safety, and overall well-being. The suggested alternatives didn't

emphasize exercise, as concerns about screen time were more associated with isolation and reduced

creativity than physical inactivity. At home, parents provided opportunities for imaginative and

collaborative play through toys, board games, artistic activities, reading, or academic tasks. Since

children were considered too young to venture out alone, adults made decisions about indoor or outdoor

activities, necessitating constant supervision in a specific area. Proposed activities for children had to fit

into parents' busy schedules, with coordinating various after-school commitments for siblings proving

even more challenging. Consequently, children's participation in activities was influenced by both their

siblings' obligations and their parents' timetables. Figure 3 and Table 7 are showing the Report 2022 in

health promotion and disease.

Discussion

This qualitative study explored parental perceptions of children’s dietary habits and physical activity in

a public-school setting. The findings suggest that parents’ understanding of healthy lifestyles, concerns

about food intake, and views about children’s activity levels influenced their approaches to feeding and

daily routines. Some parents placed considerable importance on children finishing meals and consuming

a variety of foods, while others perceived everyday play and routine movement as sufficient physical

activity. These findings illustrate how parental intentions to support healthy growth may be shaped by

personal beliefs, family practices, and the circumstances in which children live. Because the study

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involved families from a single school, the findings should be interpreted in the context of the study

setting rather than assumed to represent all families [11,12]. Although the study explored food and

physical activity decisions within a specific local setting, the findings have broader relevance. Prior

research emphasized that socioeconomic disadvantage plays a critical role in shaping lifestyle

behaviours that contribute to non-communicable diseases, including childhood obesity [1]. Similarly,

conceptual models of food choice highlight the interaction between individual preferences, social

environment, and economic constraints, reinforcing the importance of contextual factors observed in

our study [5].

The emphasis on parental beliefs and preferences aligns with evidence demonstrating that culturally

embedded food beliefs strongly influence dietary behaviours and health decision-making in

socioeconomically marginalized communities [6]. These findings underscore the need for culturally

sensitive health promotion strategies rather than universal dietary prescriptions, as also advocated in

research defining healthy dietary patterns across diverse populations [4].

Socioeconomic position has consistently been linked to children’s dietary quality and activity levels.

Research has highlighted the importance of incorporating health promotion principles into professional

education to address structural determinants of health, including family affluence and environmental

barriers [11]. Furthermore, studies on diet-related behaviours have emphasized that these behaviours are

deeply influenced by social and economic contexts, which can either facilitate or hinder healthy lifestyle

adoption [10,15].

The findings of this study also resonate with broader nutritional research demonstrating the role of food

environment and accessibility. Research on plant-based diets and chronic kidney disease has illustrated

the importance of dietary choices in health management, particularly among populations with specific

nutritional needs [2,3]. Likewise, studies of functional and traditional foods highlight the cultural

dimensions of food acceptance and the potential for culturally relevant nutrition interventions [9,13,14].

Additionally, dietary diversity and food processing practices influence health outcomes. Research on

fermented and fibre-rich foods has reported potential health benefits when these foods are integrated

into appropriate dietary patterns [7,8]. These insights support the study’s emphasis on aligning health

promotion strategies with parental preferences and lived realities rather than imposing externally

defined norms.

Strengths

The qualitative interview approach provided an opportunity to explore parents’ perceptions and decision-

making concerning children’s dietary habits and physical activity. Repeated transcript review and

systematic coding supported the organization of the interview data into categories and themes. Inclusion

of parents from a socioeconomically disadvantaged setting also provided context-specific insights into

family perspectives on children’s health behaviours.

Limitations

The study included 50 parents from 35 families associated with a single public school, limiting the

transferability of the findings to other settings. Participation was voluntary, and only 35 of the 91 invited

families were represented, which may have introduced selection bias. The findings relied on parental

accounts and may have been influenced by recall or social desirability bias. Further details concerning

researcher reflexivity, the number of analysts, the assessment of analytical credibility, and ethics approval

should be verified and reported where available.

Conclusions

Parents’ perceptions of healthy eating and physical activity influenced how they approached children’s

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food intake, meal routines, and daily activities. Concerns about selective eating and inadequate food

consumption sometimes encouraged greater parental control over meals, while perceptions that children

were already sufficiently active could influence decisions about additional physical activity. These

findings highlight the importance of understanding family beliefs and circumstances when planning

childhood health-promotion initiatives. Culturally appropriate nutrition education and practical

guidance on age-appropriate physical activity may help families support healthy behaviours. Further

qualitative research involving families from diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds is needed

to explore the transferability of these findings.

Declaration

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no competing interests related to this work.

Funding: No external funding was received for this study.

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