title: The Health Care Provider's Experience With Fathers of Overweight and Obese Children: A Qualitative Analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of health care providers (HCPs) in the outpatient setting as they work with fathers of children who are overweight and obese.
  
  
  METHODS
  Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used for data collection and analysis. Seven HCPs were interviewed about their experiences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two major themes emerged from the experiences of these HCPs: "dad in the back seat" and "paternal resistance."
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The theme of "dad in the back seat" captured the HCPs' experiences and perceptions of parental roles and related stereotypes with respect to fathers' lack of presence in the health-care setting, family roles that relegate fathers to the back seat in dealing with this issue, and the tendency of fathers to take a passive role and defer to mothers in the management of their child's weight. "Paternal resistance" reflected the perceived tendency of the father to resist the acceptance of his child's weight as a problem and to resist change and even undermine family efforts to make healthier choices.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HCPs' experiences of fathers as having a minimal role in the management of their child's overweight and obesity may lead them to neglect fathers as agents of change with regard to this important issue.
authors.forename: Eliza
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Anti
authors.forename: Jennifer S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Laurent
authors.forename: Connie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tompkins
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005219:Father-Child Relations; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D010332:Paternal Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D064701:Pediatric Nurse Practitioners; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Childhood obesity; fathers; health care providers