Public Health Nurses’ Experiences in Preventing Obesity in Preschool Children. A Vignette Study From Child Health Clinics in Norway

TL;DR

Public health nurses in Norway face complex challenges when helping parents prevent obesity in young children, according to a study using vignette-based questionnaires.

Contribution

The study introduces a novel use of vignettes to explore PHNs' experiences and challenges in obesity prevention, revealing new insights into their adherence to guidelines.

Findings

PHNs experience strong but complex feelings of responsibility when addressing childhood obesity with parents.

They face difficulties in determining if a child's weight is a concern and in meeting healthcare needs related to weight.

Interdisciplinary collaboration and resources are seen as essential for effective obesity prevention.

Abstract

This study explored the experiences of public health nurses (PHN) in preventing obesity in preschool children and following national guidelines. We used a descriptive qualitative design with an online open-ended questionnaire based on vignettes describing fictitious practical situations during the follow-up of children presenting with overweight issues in child health clinics. Following qualitative content analysis, we identified one main theme: Strong but complex feelings of responsibility toward supporting parents in preventing obesity in preschool children and adhering to the guidelines. We also identified four subthemes: (a) Difficulties in deciding if the child’s weight is a concern. (b) Challenges with meeting children’s healthcare needs when weight is a concern. (c) Approaches for engagement and caring weight talks with parents. (d) The need for resources and interdisciplinary collaboration. PHNs suggested improvements for preventing childhood obesity and called for municipal prioritizing of organizational and personnel-related resources to ensure PHNs can efficiently follow national guidelines.

Figures