title: Eat, play, view, sleep: Exploring Mexican American mothers' perceptions of decision making for four behaviors associated with childhood obesity risk.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This mixed methods study sought to understand who makes decisions about whether preschool-aged Mexican American children engage in eating, outdoor play, sleep, and screen time behaviors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty Mexican American mothers of children ages 3-4 participated in two interviews, during which both closed- and open-ended questions elicited perceptions of who made decisions for the four behaviors, as well as who was present, mealtime rules, and food choice values. Interviews were transcribed, coded for emergent themes, and compared across participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants generally perceived themselves to be primary decision makers for all four behaviors; however, food decisions often seemed to be made collaboratively with the child. Fathers were most likely to participate in evening television decisions. Other family members were rarely mentioned. Selecting foods that children liked was a strong food choice value, while cost was rarely mentioned. Participants appeared to have low perceived control over their child's behaviors relative to their perceived roles in decision making.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mothers may be the primary audience for obesity prevention messages for preschool-aged, Mexican American children; however, health promotion programs may need to increase mothers' awareness of their control over children's behaviors. Understanding how children's behaviors are regulated is an important aspect of obesity prevention for low-income, Mexican American children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Discovery I, 915 Greene Street, Room 529, Columbia, SC 29208, USA. Electronic address: rdavis@mailbox.sc.edu.
authors.forename: Rachel E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA. Electronic address: smcole@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Suzanne M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Discovery I, 915 Greene Street, Room 529, Columbia, SC 29208, USA. Electronic address: ceblake@sc.edu.
authors.forename: Christine E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Blake
authors.affiliation: The Community Health and Social Services Center, Inc., 5635 West Fort Street, Detroit, MI 48209, USA. Electronic address: shannon.mckenney@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Shannon J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: McKenney-Shubert
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, I-1867, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA. Electronic address: karenep@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Karen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Peterson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003657:Decision Making; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D063105:Food Assistance; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans; D009034:Mother-Child Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D011203:Poverty; D012307:Risk Factors; D012890:Sleep; D013690:Television; D018910:Video Games
keywords: Childhood obesity; Decision making; Food choice; Latino; Parents; Rules