Obesity Risk Knowledge, Self-Efficacy, and Physical Activity in Families of Adolescents

There were no significant relationships found between parental obesity risk knowledge and physical activity in their children. nor between parent's self efficacy and their children's physical activity. In addition there was no significant relationship between the adolescents' obesity risk knowledge and their physical activity. There was, however, a statistically significant relationship between adolescent's self efficacy and physical activity. The result of the correlation between parent's self-efficacy and their level of physical activity was not significant but approached significance (p = .07) and may be identified as a trend. There was a statistically significant negative correlation between parents who describe their physical activity as "vigorous" and adolescent physical activity level. There was also a statistically significant negative correlation between parents' obesity risk knowledge and "sitting time" for parents. The results of the focus group yielded results that identified a need for researchers to engage in the development of a tool to assess obesity risk knowledge in American adolescents. A better understanding of the combination and relationships of these factors will assist nurses in examining the level of knowledge that families have regarding obesity and, in turn, assist nurses in the development of strategies to counteract this epidemic. Findings from this study will add to the body of knowledge available to assist nurses in assessing families concerned with obesity, as well as, to assist those nurses who are developing and evaluating interventions specifically in the area of childhood obesity.

Name thesis:degree_name

PhD Nursing

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation: Open Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Nursing

Year dc:date.available

2008

Author dc:creator

• Rutkowski, Elaine M., PhD, MSN, RN, CNS

• adolescents
• nursing
• Obesity Risk Knowledge
• parents & parenting
• physical activity
• self-efficacy

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digital.sandiego.edu/dissertations/367

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digital.sandiego.edu:dissertations-1370