Struggling with overweight or obesity in children – fathers’ perceptions and experiences of contributing factors, role and responsibility

Figures & data

Table I. Participant characteristics.

Characteristics	Number of participants
Gender:
Male	8
Age:	34–55
Mean age	45
Civil status:
Single/divorced	1
Partner/married	7
Education:
Secondary school	6
Bachelor’s degree or higher	2
Occupational status:
Employee 100%	8
Daytime	4
Shift-work	4
Habitat:
Rural	3
Urban	5
Children/adolescents:
Age	4–16

Table II. Thematic guide for individual interviews.

Understanding of overweight and obesity in children How do you prefer to talk about your child’s overweight? What is your understanding/experiences of your child’s overweight? What do you perceive or experience as possible causes of overweight or obesity in your child?

Parental role in prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity What do you think can help prevent or reduce overweight or obesity? How do you see your responsibility? What are your expectations for yourself and the child’s mother? How is your family’s division of labour and responsibility? What is important for you to prioritise?

Table III. Overall theme, themes and subthemes describing fathers’ perceptions of contributing factors to childhood obesity and their view of their parenting role.

Overall theme: Feeling uncertain and struggling to understand their own responsibility for the child’s overweight or obesity
Subtheme	Theme
Biological factors	Trying hard to figure out the child’s obesity as a complex interaction of factors
Psychosocial factors
Societal development and structural factors
Recognizing the child’s weight excess	Family functioning—negotiating roles and responsibility in parenthood
Responsibility and prevention strategies within the family
Family dynamics and climate

Table IV. Example of qualitative content analysis theme 1.

Meaning unit/Category	Subtheme	Theme	Overall theme
Consumption and availability of energy-dense food	Societal development and structural factors	Trying hard to figure out the child’s obesity as a complex interaction of factors	Feeling uncertain and struggling to understand their own responsibility for the child’s overweight or obesity
Advertising, pricing policy
Lack of cycle and walking paths
Technology development and societal development
Time pressure
Governmental responsibility and priorities
Political responsibility

Table V. Example of qualitative content analysis theme 2.

Meaning unit/Category	Subtheme	Theme	Overall theme
Agreements and disagreements about limits	Family dynamics and climate	Family functioning—negotiating roles and responsibility in parenthood	Feeling uncertain and struggling to understand their own responsibility for the child’s overweight or obesity
Family climate and interaction
Dialogue and cooperation
Building good relations with the child and within the family
Division of labour
Priorities