Hispanic Parents of Overweight and Obese Children and Their Outcome Expectations for Children’s Television Viewing: A Qualitative Study

ObjectiveExplore parental outcome expectations (OE) regarding children’s television (TV) viewing among parents of overweight or obese children.MethodsQualitative study using semi-structured interviews with 20 parents of 5- to 8-year-old overweight or obese children.ResultsParent’s positive OE for allowing TV viewing were the convenience of using TV for entertainment or as a babysitter. Hispanic parents would limit children’s TV viewing to improve their children’s health, restrict content, and promote other activities. Negative OE such as children misbehavior and the loss of positive OE for allowing TV emerged as reasons parents may not limit TV.Conclusions and ImplicationsAlthough Hispanic parents expected to improve their child’s health by limiting TV, the negative OE may prevent them from doing so. Interventions targeting children’s TV viewing, as a strategy to fight childhood obesity, may be more effective if they promote parent’s positive OE and address parent’s negative OE for children’s TV viewing.