Barriers to physical activity and healthy diet among children ages 6 through 13 in a Mississippi elementary school.
The purpose of this study was to identify barriers to adequate physical activity and a healthy diet, investigate differences in the perceived barriers among subgroups, and determine predictors of high versus low total barrier scores in one inner-city elementary school. A mixed method design was used and included students ages 6 through 13 (n=110) and parents, teachers, and community leaders (n=20). Data were collected using questionnaires and focus groups. Quantitative findings revealed no differences in total barriers based on age, gender, number of parents, or household income; however, subscale differences among groups were noted. Qualitative findings indicated that perceived barriers to physical activity were knowledge-related, and barriers to healthy diet concerned access to healthy foods.
School of Nursing, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS. Electronic address: mmoore1@umc.edu.
Molly M
MM
Moore
School of Nursing, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS.
Jennifer C
JC
Robinson
School of Nursing, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS.
Marcia M
MM
Rachel
School of Nursing, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS.
Barbara J
BJ
Boss
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008922:Mississippi; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Children; Diet; Elementary; Health behavior; Obesity; Physical Activity; School-based clinics; Schools