Table 4.
Themes, categories and subcategories describing parents' experiences of health promotion and lifestyle change during pregnancy and early parenthood
| Themes | Categories | Sub-categories |
|---|---|---|
| I. Experiencing healthy lifestyle promotion without own lifestyle change | Encountering superficial health promotion | Healthy lifestyle is common knowledge |
| Experiencing lack of parental attention when entering child health care | ||
| Experiencing health promotion advice as too directive | ||
| Appearing healthy means no questions and advice | ||
| Facing prevailing traditional gender roles | As partner being the third person of interest | |
| Perceiving ANC1 and CHC2 as 'women's business' | ||
| Feeling no urgency to prioritise own health | Feeling strong and healthy | |
| Ranking risks and postponing lifestyle change | ||
| Relapse after pregnancy and breastfeeding | ||
| II. Offspring's health as a primary incentive for lifestyle change | Securing the health of the fetus | Avoiding fetal risk exposure |
| Adhering to guidelines on healthy living | ||
| Taking shared or single responsibility | ||
| Providing a health promoting environment for the child | Being a role model | |
| Changing daily routines and own lifestyle | ||
| Setting priorities for own health | Maintaining a healthy lifestyle to avoid adverse outcomes | |
| Facing barriers to healthy living |
1Antenatal care
2Child health care