Abstract
Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate dietary habits of preschool children and their parents. Parents' opinions on lifestyles and physical characteristics of their children were analysed with the aim to identify possible relationships between active lifestyles and positive attitudes towards healthy eating habits.
Methods: The study included 520 parents of 3-to-6-year old children. The data were gathered within the scope of a large-scale research project entitled "Otrok med vplivi sodobnega življenskega sloga - gibalne sposobnosti, telesne značilnosti in zdravstveni status slovenskih otrok" ("The Child in the Midst of Modern Lifestyle Influences - Motor Abilities, Physical Characteristics, and the Health Status of Slovenian Children"), which was conducted by the researchers of the Institute of Kinesiology Research, University of Primorska, led by Dr. Boštjan Šimunič, in collaboration with the Faculty of Sports, Ljubljana and the Faculties of Education of Ljubljana, Koper, and Maribor, between 1 October 2006 and 31 September 2008. Data analysis was done using basic statistical parameters, the CORRELATION (analysis of correlations between variables) and ANOVA (analysis of variance) subprogrammes. The data obtained were processed by the SPSS statistical package for Windows. All statistically significant hypotheses were either accepted or rejected at a statistical significance level of 5% (p=0.05).
Results: Most parents surveyed (74.2%) were of the opinion that their children predominantly spend their leisure time in a motor/athletically active manner. Children have better eating habits than their parents. Athletically active parents have a significantly more negative attitude towards alcohol consumption and a more positive attitude towards a healthy diet than less athletically active parents.
Conclusion: Children should be introduced to healthy lifestyle by our setting an example of healthy life habits. The responsibility of promoting healthy life is shared by all: parents, educators, teachers, and each and everyone helping both children and adults adopt a positive attitude towards an active lifestyle.