TY - JOUR
T1 - Who is responsible for keeping children healthy? A qualitative exploration of the views of children aged 8–10 years old
AU - Goldthorpe, Joanna
AU - Epton, Tracy
AU - Keyworth, Christopher
AU - Calam, Rachel
AU - Armitage, C J
N1 - © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.
PY - 2019/5/27
Y1 - 2019/5/27
N2 - Objective The issue of who is responsible for children's physical health is complex, with implications for targeting and developing strategies for health promotion and interventions to improve health. While there is evidence to suggest that children are able to construct notions of responsibility in relation to other areas of their lives, very little research has explored children's views of responsibility for their own health. The aim of this study was to explore children's views about who they feel is responsible for keeping them healthy. Design Focus groups were used to gather qualitative data using a semistructured topic guide. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used in an iterative, double hermeneutic approach to analyse the data. Setting Focus groups took place in two UK primary schools in deprived inner city areas. Participants 20 children aged 8-10 years took part in one of two focus groups (10 children in each group). Results Three overarching themes were identified: (1) individual and collective responsibility, (2) marketing and conflict with taking responsibility, and (3) what people and organisations can do to help children to take responsibility. Children feel that they, parents, families, school staff, medical professionals, food producers, retail outlets, supermarkets, advertisers and the government are all responsible for their health and should thus demonstrate responsibility through their behaviours around children's health. Conclusions and implications Children's views were consistent with constructs of responsibility as both a moral obligation and a set of behaviours, and with wider sociopolitical philosophies of individual and collective responsibility. These findings further support a focus on integrated, system-wide approaches to children's health.
AB - Objective The issue of who is responsible for children's physical health is complex, with implications for targeting and developing strategies for health promotion and interventions to improve health. While there is evidence to suggest that children are able to construct notions of responsibility in relation to other areas of their lives, very little research has explored children's views of responsibility for their own health. The aim of this study was to explore children's views about who they feel is responsible for keeping them healthy. Design Focus groups were used to gather qualitative data using a semistructured topic guide. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used in an iterative, double hermeneutic approach to analyse the data. Setting Focus groups took place in two UK primary schools in deprived inner city areas. Participants 20 children aged 8-10 years took part in one of two focus groups (10 children in each group). Results Three overarching themes were identified: (1) individual and collective responsibility, (2) marketing and conflict with taking responsibility, and (3) what people and organisations can do to help children to take responsibility. Children feel that they, parents, families, school staff, medical professionals, food producers, retail outlets, supermarkets, advertisers and the government are all responsible for their health and should thus demonstrate responsibility through their behaviours around children's health. Conclusions and implications Children's views were consistent with constructs of responsibility as both a moral obligation and a set of behaviours, and with wider sociopolitical philosophies of individual and collective responsibility. These findings further support a focus on integrated, system-wide approaches to children's health.
KW - community child health
KW - constructs of responsibility
KW - health policy
KW - health promotion
KW - interpretative phenomenological analysis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85066635476&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-025245
DO - 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-025245
M3 - Article
C2 - 31133579
SN - 2044-6055
VL - 9
SP - e025245
JO - BMJ Open
JF - BMJ Open
IS - 5
M1 - e025245
ER -