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Low‐Income Mothers' Perceptions of Health in Their Children With Growth Delay
Author(s) -
Reifsnider Elizabeth,
Allan Janet,
Percy Melanie
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal for specialists in pediatric nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.499
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1744-6155
pISSN - 1539-0136
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-6155.2000.tb00097.x
Subject(s) - health promotion , perception , psychology , developmental psychology , mental health , child health , explanatory model , environmental health , medicine , nursing , psychiatry , pediatrics , public health , philosophy , epistemology , neuroscience
ISSUES AND PURPOSE. Parental characteristics are the strongest predictor of poor health for children. This study examined how low‐income mothers of children with growth delay define health for their children, and the behaviors they use to monitor their children's health. DESIGN AND METHODS. Naturalistic design using Kleinman's Explanatory Model approach and interviews with 22 mothers. RESULTS. Mothers consider nutritious food as a primary contributor to their children's health and consider healthy children to be chubby. Other indicators of health include children's energy levels, provision of nutritious food, and physical and mental activity balanced with rest. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. A mother's explanatory model of health for her child can guide health promotion targeted to the mother's beliefs.