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Journal of Public Health Advance Access originally published online on May 16, 2007
Journal of Public Health 2007 29(2):123-131; doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdm023
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© The Author 2007, Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved

Community beliefs about childhood obesity: its causes, consequences and potential solutions



Tanya Covic, Coordinator of Research Higher Degrees and Lecturer in Psychology1,

Louise Roufeil, Program Director, NSW Central West Division of GP and Adjunct Lecturer in Psychology2,3

Suzanne Dziurawiec, Coordinator of Research Higher Degrees and Senior Lecturer in Psychology4
1 School of Psychology, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith South DC, NSW 1797, Australia
2 NSW Central West Division of General Practice, Bathurst, NSW, Australia
3 School of Social Sciences and Liberal Studies, Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, NSW, Australia
4 School of Psychology, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia

Address correspondence to Tanya Covic, E-mail: t.covic{at}uws.edu.au


  Abstract

Background The objective of this study was to explore community beliefs about the causes, consequences and potential solutions of childhood obesity.

Methods A convenience sample of 434 adults (41.2 ± 13.3 years; 61% parents) in New South Wales, Australia, was surveyed using a newly developed childhood obesity scale.

Results Five causal (emotional eating; eating habits and food knowledge; environmental dysfunction; abundance of contemporary lifestyle; cost of contemporary lifestyle), four consequences (known consequences of obesity; behavioural consequences; social consequences; less-known physical consequences) and three potential solutions factors (parental actions; professional assistance; limiting behaviours) were identified. Parents did not differ from non-parents across the 12 factors nor were there any differences based on the level of education. There were, however, gender differences across two causal factors (emotional eating and abundance of contemporary lifestyle) and two consequences factors (behavioural consequences and social consequences), with females endorsing all four factors more strongly than males.

Conclusions The results of this study suggest that this sample was aware of the complex nature of childhood obesity in terms of its causes, consequences and a range of potential solutions, but they endorsed more family rather than community-based interventions.

Keywords: beliefs, childhood obesity, general community


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