Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Health

Advisor

Loretta Shields

Abstract

Obesity is a burdensome and preventable noncommunicable disease that annually claims the lives of approximately 5% of the global population. Initially, the disease affected only adults, but the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity has become an ongoing concern to health officials and world leaders. Childhood obesity may persist into adulthood and may become a precursor to Type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and socioeconomic complications. Some parents who struggle with obesity may miss signs that their children are obese, which hinders their children’s growth at many levels. Research on the lived experiences of parents who are obese and their coping strategies to manage their children’s nutrition has been limited. The purpose of this phenomenological study, which was guided by Bandura’s social cognitive theory, was to obtain an in-depth understanding of the ways obese parents described their coping strategies and perceptions of nutrition when feeding their children. Data were collected using the Zoom platform from semistructured interviews with 11 parents who were obese to obtain details their lived experiences with food and the impact on their feeding practices. Colaizzi’s method of phenomenological data analysis was used to formulate clusters of themes. Four themes emerged from the data analysis. Two themes were (a) parental perceptions of nutrition promote the incorporation of some healthy foods into children’s diets, (b) external barriers to healthier choices are perceived as affecting the whole. The results indicated that the participants’ lived experiences with food and their personal barriers affected their feeding practices. The results could lead to positive social change by providing parents with the tools to help them make more appropriate nutritional choices.

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