Parent's views of the importance of making changes in settings where children spend time to prevent obesity.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the kinds of changes parents would like to see in those settings where children spend time (kindergartens and schools, child care centres and after-school care facilities, and the local neighbourhood) in policies and practices that impact on children's risk of obesity, and to establish whether parents might be willing to advocate for changes in these settings.


METHODS
175 parents from five randomly selected primary schools and five randomly selected kindergartens located in suburbs of metropolitan Melbourne completed a questionnaire in which they rated the importance of a number of potential changes to promote healthy eating and increase physical activity in their children.


RESULTS
Parents of children in kindergarten most commonly rated changes to the eating environment as important. In contrast, parents of primary school children believed changes related to both eating and physical activity in school were important. Ninety-five per cent of parents of kindergarten children and 89% of parents of primary school children believed it was possible for parents to bring about change to provide more opportunities for their child to eat more healthily and be more physically active. One in four parents reported that they had thought about or had tried to bring about changes in their community.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest that mobilising parents to take an active role in advocating for change in those settings that have the potential to shape their children's physical activity and eating behaviours may be feasible.
Crawford
David
D
Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Hwy, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia. dcraw@deakin.edu.au
Timperio
Anna
A
Campbell
Karen
K
Hume
Clare
C
Jackson
Michelle
M
Carver
Alison
A
Hesketh
Kylie
K
Ball
Kylie
K
Salmon
Jo
J
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet / Q000592:standards; D004522:Educational Status; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires