Parents preferred less costly community-based obesity prevention interventions that aim to address both healthy lifestyles and climate change, and were willing to pay an additional $3.97 per fortnight for convenient participation.
Key Findings
Results
Parents preferred community-based obesity prevention interventions (CBOPIs) that aim to address both healthy lifestyles and climate change over those addressing obesity alone.
The preference for CBOPIs addressing both healthy lifestyles and climate change was statistically marginal (P = .086).
The finding suggests that incorporating climate change action into CBOPIs may increase parent support.
The study used an unlabelled 12-choice task discrete choice experiment with two CBOPI alternatives plus an opt-out alternative.
Sample consisted of n = 438 parents of primary-school-aged children across all Australian states and territories.
Results
Parents preferred less costly CBOPIs.
Cost preference was statistically significant (P < .001).
Cost was one of six attributes used to describe CBOPIs in the discrete choice experiment.
Data were analysed using conditional logit models.
Results
Parents preferred short-term, manageable disruptions to family schedules to accommodate CBOPI participation over no intervention.
The preference for short-term, manageable disruptions was statistically significant (P < .001).
Convenience was one of the six attributes describing CBOPIs, alongside cost, aim, involvement, effectiveness, and social opportunities.
Attributes were informed by a literature review of enablers and barriers to parent participation.
Results
Parents were willing to pay an additional $3.97 per fortnight (approximately $104.00 per year) for CBOPI participation to be convenient.
Willingness-to-pay estimate for convenience was $3.97 per fortnight (standard error 1.380, P = .004).
This equates to approximately $104.00 per year.
Willingness-to-pay for attributes was estimated using conditional logit models.
The survey was electronically distributed during April–May 2024.
Methods
The discrete choice experiment used a D-efficient design with six CBOPI attributes to elicit parent preferences.
The six attributes were: cost, aim, involvement, effectiveness, convenience, and social opportunities.
An unlabelled 12-choice task design was used, incorporating two CBOPI alternatives plus an opt-out alternative.
Attributes were informed by a literature review of enablers and barriers to parent participation.
The survey was distributed to parents of primary-school-aged children in each Australian state and territory.
Ward N, Thai T, Nichols M, Moodie M, Robinson K, Brown V. (2026). Valuing Australian parent preferences for community-based nutrition and physical activity initiatives: a discrete choice experiment.. Health promotion international. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daag033