Understanding children's voices about enablers of obesity from a causal attribution's stance: a vignette study

• Published in: Psychology & health 2024-11, Vol.39 (11), p.1595-1616
• Main Authors: Pereira, Beatriz, Magalhães, Paula, Vilas, Catarina, Rosário, Pedro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; causal attributions; Child; children; enablers of obesity; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Male; Obesity; Pediatric Obesity - psychology; qualitative design
• ISSN: 0887-0446; 1476-8321; 1476-8321
• DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2023.2180151

Childhood obesity is a public health challenge with health, economic and psychosocial consequences. The design of interventions addressing childhood obesity seldom considers children's perspectives on the topic. Weiner's causal attribution framework was used to explore children's perspectives on enablers of obesity. Children (N = 277) responded to a vignette with an open-ended question. Data were analyzed using content analysis. Children perceived internal, unstable and controllable causes (e.g. dietary intake, self-regulation and emotionality) as the main enablers (76.53%) of obesity, while some (11.91%) highlighted external, unstable and controllable causes (e.g. parent food restrictions). A focus on children with healthy body weight showed that they mentioned more internal, stable and controllable causes for obesity than children with unhealthy body weight/obesity did. The latter mentioned more external, unstable and controllable causes than their counterparts. Understanding children's causal attributions for obesity is expected to deepen our knowledge of obesity enablers and help design interventions matching children's perspectives.