Emphasis mainly on diet
The Child Health Care nurseswho participated in this study conceived
diet to be of crucial importance for a healthier
weight and a healthier child. They considered that they
have sufficient knowledge to give general diet counseling
but that they lack knowledge beyond the general guidelines
aimed to help all those children passing through
Child Health Care nurses. Collaboration with the dieticians was considered
valuable as the participants conceived that parents of
overweight children require more intensified diet counseling
than they could offer as nurses. Those nurses
who have access to a dietician would rather refer the
child to the dietician than give counseling themselves.
The participants considered that they had sufficient
knowledge regarding the sedentary behavior of children
who were overweight however, their conception was
that the emphasis in their work was to be directed towards
dietary habits.
“Diet is what we talk most about at Child Health Care nurses. From the
first to the last encounter, with every family.” (1:8)