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Table 1 Summary of Focus Group Topic Guide

From: A qualitative insight into informal childcare and childhood obesity in children aged 0–5 years in the UK

1. What do you think informal care is? What types of informal care have you used or given and why?

2. Carers: Can you describe your typical day with the child you look after?

Parents: Can you describe a typical day your child will have with the carer?

(Making special attention to Who? What? Where? When? Why?)

3. Do you receive/give any suggestions as to how the child should be looked after in relation to health or health behaviour?

4. Do you think that there is a problem with pre-school aged children being overweight?

5. What knowledge or support do informal caregivers need to help prevent obesity in the children they care for?

6. Moderator provides existing evidence on the relationship between informal childcare and obesity. Can you think of any possible explanations for this evidenced association?

7. What are parents and informal caregivers perceptions of potentially feasible and effective intervention targets and ideasa?

(Making special attention to Who? What? Where? When/how often/how long? )

8. What would be feasible ways to recruit suitable participants for future questionnaire surveys that aim to research this topic further?

9. Summary and closing

  1. aFocus group participants were not provided with any examples of potential interventions, in order to generate an open discussion with fresh ideas that were not influenced by the moderators’ knowledge in the field.