Parental Views on the Acceptability and Feasibility of Measurement Tools Used to Assess Movement Behaviour of Pre-School Children: A Qualitative Study

Sophie M. Phillips, Carolyn Summerbell, Kathryn R. Hesketh, Sonia Saxena and Frances C. Hillier-Brown
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Sophie M. Phillips: Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3HN, UK
Carolyn Summerbell: Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3HN, UK
Kathryn R. Hesketh: MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
Sonia Saxena: School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London W6 8RP, UK
Frances C. Hillier-Brown: The Centre for Translational Research in Public Health (Fuse), Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 6, 1-19

Abstract: Movement behaviours (physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep) are important for the health and development of pre-school children (aged 3–4 years). There is limited qualitative research examining the acceptability and feasibility of tools used to assess movement behaviours in pre-schoolers. This study explored parental views on various measurement tools in three deprived areas in England, UK (West Yorkshire, County Durham and Northumberland). The study consisted of a demonstration of the different tools (accelerometers, a diary and a questionnaire), directly followed by focus group discussions. Three focus group discussions with a total of eleven parents and carers were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed four main themes: (1) importance of contextual information when using any measurement tool (e.g., child illness, capturing different routines); (2) practical issues associated with devices (e.g., aversion to devices being attached directly to the skin of their child; concern of larger devices during sleep time); (3) encouraging children to wear a device (e.g., making devices attractive to children — ‘superpowers’); and (4) presentation of diaries and questionnaires (e.g., age-appropriate movement activities, preference for real-time recording over recall). Practical recommendations for the use of the tools to measure movement behaviours of pre-school children are provided.

Keywords: feasibility; acceptability; movement behaviours; measurement; qualitative research; pre-school children (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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