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Background <p>Gendered perceptions can shape parental beliefs, behaviours and practices relevant to childhood obesity prevention during the critical early life period from pregnancy to infancy. We explored how pregnant women, mothers and healthcare providers in maternal child health in Shanghai, China, perceive the influences of gender within an overweight and obesity prevention context.</p> Methods <p>We conducted a qualitative descriptive study integrated into the intervention arm of an ongoing early childhood obesity prevention trial. Individual interviews and focus group discussions with pregnant women and mothers participating in the intervention and healthcare providers involved in the delivery of the intervention were conducted (<i>n</i> = 59). We documented perceptions on gender in relation to parental beliefs, behaviours and practices in the context of overweight and obesity prevention. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis.</p> Results <p>Three main themes were identified. First, participants shared expectations for children’s bodies, emphasizing that health was a priority for both boys and girls, but that expectations regarding body figure were generally stricter for girls than for boys. Second, regarding parenting expectations and health behaviours, few gender differences were reported other than boys being expected to engage in more physical activity compared to girls. Third, participants shared their views on gender roles and involvement in parenting, highlighting mothers’ central role in overweight and obesity prevention during pregnancy and early childhood, alongside a desire for greater paternal involvement in parenting and in modelling healthy lifestyle behaviours.</p> Conclusions <p>Findings underscore the importance of integrating gender‑related perceptions into early childhood overweight and obesity prevention efforts, beginning prenatally and extending through early childhood. Increasing awareness of these perceptions early in the life course could contribute to more gender-sensitive care and support childhood obesity prevention from the earliest stages of life.</p> Trial registration <p>The SCHeLTI protocol was registered on the Chinese registry ChiCTR1800017773 on 2018-08-13 (<a href="https://www.chictr.org.cn/hvshowproject.html?id=93827%26v=1.3">https://www.chictr.org.cn/hvshowproject.html?id=93827%26v=1.3</a>).</p>

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Gender-related perceptions among healthcare providers and mothers in a pregnancy and early childhood obesity prevention intervention in Shanghai, China

  • 期刊论文

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月26日

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  • Kyla Christianson,
  • Hong Jiang,
  • Fanyu Zeng,
  • Anxin Yin,
  • Xingying Li,
  • Jianxia Fan,
  • Jean-Patrice Baillargeon,
  • Louise C. Mâsse,
  • Olivia De-Jongh González,
  • Nadia Abdelouahab,
  • William Fraser,
  • Hefeng Huang,
  • Catherine M. Herba,
  • Andraea Van Hulst

摘要

Background

Gendered perceptions can shape parental beliefs, behaviours and practices relevant to childhood obesity prevention during the critical early life period from pregnancy to infancy. We explored how pregnant women, mothers and healthcare providers in maternal child health in Shanghai, China, perceive the influences of gender within an overweight and obesity prevention context.

Methods

We conducted a qualitative descriptive study integrated into the intervention arm of an ongoing early childhood obesity prevention trial. Individual interviews and focus group discussions with pregnant women and mothers participating in the intervention and healthcare providers involved in the delivery of the intervention were conducted (n = 59). We documented perceptions on gender in relation to parental beliefs, behaviours and practices in the context of overweight and obesity prevention. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results

Three main themes were identified. First, participants shared expectations for children’s bodies, emphasizing that health was a priority for both boys and girls, but that expectations regarding body figure were generally stricter for girls than for boys. Second, regarding parenting expectations and health behaviours, few gender differences were reported other than boys being expected to engage in more physical activity compared to girls. Third, participants shared their views on gender roles and involvement in parenting, highlighting mothers’ central role in overweight and obesity prevention during pregnancy and early childhood, alongside a desire for greater paternal involvement in parenting and in modelling healthy lifestyle behaviours.

Conclusions

Findings underscore the importance of integrating gender‑related perceptions into early childhood overweight and obesity prevention efforts, beginning prenatally and extending through early childhood. Increasing awareness of these perceptions early in the life course could contribute to more gender-sensitive care and support childhood obesity prevention from the earliest stages of life.

Trial registration

The SCHeLTI protocol was registered on the Chinese registry ChiCTR1800017773 on 2018-08-13 (https://www.chictr.org.cn/hvshowproject.html?id=93827%26v=1.3).