| Abstract [eng] |
The aim of the research – to evaluate relations between parental health literacy and Klaipeda’s city pre-school children's diet and physical activity education. Methodology of the research – quantitative research method was used by creating an online anonymous survey. 375 parents of pre-school aged kids were surveyed. All forms were appropriately filled and used during the research. Applications used for statistical and descriptive analysis: IBM SPSS and Microsoft Excel 2010. Conclusions. More than a half of the parents pointed out that they care about healthy eating habits, but only a one-third of the children and 37,3 percent of parents are eating fresh vegetables daily. Children of physically active parents tend to spend more time outside on the weekends, whilst the children of physically passive parents spend more time at the TV or computer and less time in sports and dance groups activities. 72 percent of parents are constantly interested in the healthy nutrition and physical activity of their children, mostly using method of edification or advice and personal experience. However, 29,3 percent of parents allow their children to engage in activity unrelated to food during mealtime, and 27,7 percent of food is oftentimes fried in fat rather than boiled or stewed. Approximately a fourth of the parents do not encourage their children to be more physically active and attend additional sports or dancing classes. 30,1 percent of the family leisure time is oftentimes spent watching TV, furthermore 61,3 percent of the parents never practice exercises with their children. It was found that 52,6 percent of the respondents had an insufficient level of health literacy, out of which 18,7 percent were inadequate, and 33,9 percent had problematic levels of heath literacy. Only 15,7 percent of parents were found to have perfect health literacy. Majority of those parents control their children's junk food intake, limit the TV time and set an example by eating healthy themselves. Parents with inadequate level of health literacy less often buy healthy food products and five times more frequently fry food with fat rather than boil or stew. Parents with perfect health literacy more often discuss physical activity with their children and its’ benefits, also twice as often engage in physical activity together. Higher level of health literacy translates into more favorable habits being instilled and practiced in the family. |
