title: Physical activity and beverage consumption in preschoolers: focus groups with parents and teachers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Qualitative research is a method in which new ideas and strategies can be discovered. This qualitative study aimed to investigate parents' and teachers' opinions on physical activity and beverage consumption of preschool children. Through separate, independent focus groups, they expressed their perceptions on children's current physical activity and beverage consumption levels, factors that influence and enhance these behaviours, and anticipated barriers to making changes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multi-cultural and multi-geographical focus groups were carried out in six European countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Poland and Spain). In total, twenty-four focus groups with 122 parents and eighteen focus groups with 87 teachers were conducted between October 2010 and January 2011. Based on a semi-structured interview guide, questions on preschoolers' physical activity (opinions on preschoolers' physical activity, how to increase physical activity, facilitators and barriers of physical activity) and beverage consumption (rules and policies, factors influencing promotion of healthy drinking, recommendations for future intervention development) were asked. The information was analyzed using qualitative data analysis software (NVivo8).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The focus group results indicated misperceptions of caregivers on preschoolers' physical activity and beverage consumption levels. Caregivers perceived preschoolers as sufficiently active; they argue that children need to learn to sit still in preparation for primary school. At most preschools, children can drink only water. In some preschools sugar-sweetened beverages like chocolate milk or fruit juices, are also allowed. It was mentioned that sugar-sweetened beverages can be healthy due to mineral and vitamin content, although according to parents their daily intake is limited. These opinions resulted in low perceived needs to change behaviours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although previous research shows need of change in obesity-related behaviours, the participants in the current study didn't perceive such. The awareness of parents and teachers needs to be raised concerning their shared responsibility about healthy behaviours in preschoolers. Providing preschool teachers with ready-to-use classroom material will encourage them to change physical activity and beverage consumption, and to implement related activities in the classroom. Involvement in activities that their children perform at preschool will motivate parents to extend these behaviours to the home environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, Ghent 9000, Belgium. marieke.decraemer@ugent.be
authors.forename: Marieke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Craemer
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Decker
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: De Bourdeaudhuij
authors.forename: Benedicte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Deforche
authors.forename: Carine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vereecken
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Duvinage
authors.forename: Evangelia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grammatikaki
authors.forename: Violeta
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Iotova
authors.forename: Juan Miguel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fernández-Alvira
authors.forename: Kamila
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zych
authors.forename: Yannis
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Manios
authors.forename: Greet
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cardon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001628:Beverages / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005060:Europe; D005178:Faculty; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D055815:Young Adult
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