Bond on balance: the mother-child relation influencing the childhood obesity treatment

Abstract

Introduction: Obesity has been increasing focus of studies around the world, especially when it deals with childhood obesity. Objectives: To contribute to a better understanding about the bond between mother and child in the treatment adherence of childhood obesity.
Materials and Methods: Seven mothers of obese children were interviewed. They were all users of the Nutrition Clinic, located in southern Rio Grande do Sul. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and the material was subjected to content analysis.
Results: After analysis and categorization of data from interviews, three thematic areas were identified: 1) child care; 2) trajectory of bonds and 3) mother's difficulty to realize the weight of the child. These thematic areas guided the discussion about health care for overweight children in this study. It was shown that the maternal link negatively influences on compliance, since there is no single form of establishing this relationship. It can be seen that although there is no single form of establishing the maternal bond, it had a negative influence on treatment compliance.
Conclusion: At the end of the study, can be seen that the maternal bond influences the adherence to treatment, but there is no single way to establish this connection, therefore, there is no more efficient or more correct treatment, it will depend on each patient and how the pair, mother and son, interact face of situations.