Paternal perceptions of responsibilities and child physical activity.

Abstract

Childhood physical inactivity is a national concern due to health problems that extend into adulthood. Child physical activity has been recognized as a way to reduce childhood obesity and prevent problems that can span a lifetime including mental and physical health risks. Increasing childhood physical activity is complex with the role of the father remaining unknown, and with substantial barriers to physical activity existing in underserved populations. The purpose of this dissertation was to elucidate paternal perceptions of the father’s role in child physical activity and home responsibilities among Mexican-heritage fathers along the Texas-Mexico border. Open-ended questions were utilized in elicitation surveys and dyadic interviews among fathers to allow for unrestricted answers to capture the specific thoughts of this population. Elicitation surveys were quantitatively analyzed to determine frequency of responses within similar contexts. Dyadic interviews were examined to determine similar themes and context among a group of fathers. Keywords: elicitation, dyadic, father.