Engaging New Parents in the Development of a Peer Nutrition Education Model Using Participatory Action Research

Richard Ball, Kerith Duncanson, Lee Ashton, Andrew Bailey, Tracy L. Burrows, Gail Whiteford, Maria Henström, Rachel Gerathy, Alison Walton, Jennifer Wehlow and Clare E. Collins
Additional contact information
Richard Ball: Mid North Coast Local Health District, Port Macquarie, NSW 2444, Australia
Kerith Duncanson: Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
Lee Ashton: Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
Andrew Bailey: Mid North Coast Local Health District, Port Macquarie, NSW 2444, Australia
Tracy L. Burrows: Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
Gail Whiteford: Mid North Coast Local Health District, Port Macquarie, NSW 2444, Australia
Maria Henström: Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
Rachel Gerathy: Mid North Coast Local Health District, Port Macquarie, NSW 2444, Australia
Alison Walton: Mid North Coast Local Health District, Port Macquarie, NSW 2444, Australia
Jennifer Wehlow: Mid North Coast Local Health District, Port Macquarie, NSW 2444, Australia
Clare E. Collins: Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 19, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: This study investigated the implementation model and research methods of a peer education program for new parents focused on infant feeding and nutrition. Two hundred and sixty-nine parents with an infant aged birth to two years old were invited to become co-researchers in a Participatory Action Research (PAR) study over three years. Data included focus group and online participant meeting transcripts, social media data, correspondence between the implementation team and peer educators, and field notes. All data were consolidated regularly and discussed by project participants and the research team. After each PAR cycle, structured content analysis was conducted, informing the next iteration of the implementation model and research methods. Participating parents were highly engaged in child feeding peer-to-peer education, but felt more effective and comfortable being considered as a child-feeding information resource sharer or ‘champion’ rather than a formal peer educator. Similarly, quantitative data collection was only effective when it was integrated seamlessly into the implementation model. PAR methodology suited the diversity and dynamic real-life study setting, facilitating substantial improvements to the peer nutrition intervention model and data collection methods. Our study demonstrated that a genuine collaboration between health professionals and participants to implement research in practice can achieve both intervention outcomes and research aims.

Keywords: infant; child feeding practices; peer education; social media; participatory action research (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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