Aldolaim Sadeg, Almulla Hebah, Aldossary Latifa, Bawazier Bushra, Almomin Ibtihal, Alghamdi Rawan, Mohammad Hussein Ahlam
Fundamentals of Nursing Department, College of Nursing, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
BMC Public Health. 2025 May 19;25(1):1834. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-23039-x.
Family involvement is crucial in mitigating childhood obesity. Nonetheless, research on fathers' perceptions regarding childhood weight issues remains limited, particularly within non-Western cultures.
This study aimed to (1) examine fathers' attitudes, perceptions, and practices related to child feeding and obesity risk; (2) assess their self-efficacy in promoting healthy eating; and (3) explore the relationship between these factors among fathers of school-age children in Saudi Arabia.
A cross-sectional design was used, with data collected from 179 Saudi fathers of school-age children (ages 6-12 years) via online survey. Instruments included the Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ) and the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE). Data were analyzed using Spearman's correlations and descriptive statistics.
Self-efficacy was negatively correlated with feeding responsibility (rho =- 0.29, p < 0.01), pressure to eat (rho =- 0.18, p < 0.05), and monitoring (rho =- 0.25, p < 0.01), indicating that lower confidence was linked to greater parental control. Positive correlations were found with perceived parent overweight (rho = 0.34, p < 0.01) and perceived child overweight (rho = 0.23, p < 0.01).
Healthcare professionals should design father-centered interventions that promote healthy eating without instilling weight-related anxiety. Culturally tailored strategies targeting paternal self-efficacy could enhance childhood obesity prevention efforts in the region.
家庭参与对于缓解儿童肥胖至关重要。然而，关于父亲对儿童体重问题看法的研究仍然有限，尤其是在非西方文化中。
本研究旨在（1）调查父亲与儿童喂养及肥胖风险相关的态度、看法和行为；（2）评估他们在促进健康饮食方面的自我效能感；（3）探讨沙特阿拉伯学龄儿童父亲中这些因素之间的关系。
采用横断面设计，通过在线调查从179名沙特学龄儿童（6至12岁）的父亲那里收集数据。使用的工具包括儿童喂养问卷（CFQ）和一般自我效能量表（GSE）。数据采用Spearman相关性分析和描述性统计进行分析。
自我效能感与喂养责任（rho = -0.29，p < 0.01）、进食压力（rho = -0.18，p < 0.05）和监督（rho = -0.25，p < 0.01）呈负相关，表明信心较低与更强的父母控制有关。与感知到的父母超重（rho = 0.34，p < 0.01）和感知到的儿童超重（rho = 0.23，p < 0.01）呈正相关。
医疗保健专业人员应设计以父亲为中心的干预措施，促进健康饮食，同时不灌输与体重相关的焦虑。针对父亲自我效能感的文化定制策略可以加强该地区儿童肥胖的预防工作。
