MATERNAL SELF-EFFICACY PROGRAM FOR YOUNG MOTHERS

OF PRESCHOOLERS WITH EATING PROBLEMS

AT BAHAY BULILIT DAYCARE CENTER

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

92,097,978
household
population
or
non-institutional
population in the 2010 Census of Population and Housing.
This study will focus on children under 5 years of age, who
comprise 11.1% or 10,222,876 of the population (PSA,
2010).
Within this population, EATING PROBLEMS is one of the
concerns:
GLOBAL SCALE:
25 to 45% of normally developing children experience
feeding difficulties(Liu; Stein, 2013)
20 to 60% of parents report that their children are not
eating well (Linscheid, 2006; Chatoor et al, 1994; Kerzner B,
2009).
2013 NATIONAL NUTRITION SURVEY:
Stunting rate of 30.3 %
Underweight at 19.9 %. (http://www.philstar.com/sundaylife/2015/03/29/1438557/how-help-picky-eater-have-fun-food).

Background of the study

Eating is a basic, innate ability.
Mother and Child Relationship is the essential component of
eating behavior in young children.
Children who exhibit challenging eating behaviors may
reduce maternal self-efficacy by impacting on the quality of
the mother-child relationship (Scaramela, 2004).
Management of feeding difficulties in early childhood are
poorly understood and receives limited recognition. (Davies
et al, 2006; Benjamin et al, 2009).
Parental support on optimal interventions, even for the
normally developing population, on a basic topic such as
childhood eating problems should prompt concern and
further exploration (Levine et al, 2011; Chatoor, 2003; Davies
et al, 2006).

Background of the study

Thus, identifying the difficulties of young mothers
in managing their preschoolers with eating
problems is worth looking into.
The development of Self-Efficacy Program which
addresses the needs of the young mothers, of
reinforcing their parental role in child feeding
care is the goal of this action research study.

Statement of the Problem

The main objective of the study is the development of maternal
self-efficacy program for young mothers of preschoolers with
eating problems.
Specifically, this study will seek to answer the following
questions:
1.
What are the common eating problems of preschoolers enrolled
at Bulilit Daycare Center as observed by young mothers?
2.
What difficulties do young mothers experience in managing
their preschoolers with eating problems?
3.
In what ways can the Self-Efficacy Program address problems of
young mothers in managing their preschoolers with eating
problems?
4.
What positive outcomes can be derived from the Self-Efficacy
Program in the management of the eating problems of their
preschoolers?

Significance of the Study

The action research will primarily benefit young
mothers to meet their preschoolers changing
developmental eating needs through the SelfEfficacy Program.
With this Program, the self-efficacy of young
mothers towards parenting role in child feeding
care will be reinforced through enhanced
knowledge, effective management capabilities
with confidence towards mother-child relationship.

Scope and Delimitation

The respondents will be the young mothers,
ages 18-30 years old of preschoolers with
eating problems enrolled at the Bulilit
Daycare Center, Sta. Maria, Zamboanga City.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

The Social Cognitive Learning Theory on

Self-Efficacy of Albert Bandura will be used
for the theoretical framework of this study.

PROCESS OUTCOME FRAMEWORK

This study is an action research which

will utilize the process-outcome framework
consisting of one (1) cycle and three (3)
phases:
Assessment,
Planning
and
Implementation and Evaluation.

PROCESS OUTCOME FRAMEWORK

Assessment Phase
Participants will be the young mothers of
preschoolers with eating problems.
Researchers will conduct the collection of
data to identify the common eating problems
of preschoolers and determine difficulties they
experienced in managing the eating problems
of preschoolers.

PROCESS OUTCOME FRAMEWORK

Planning and Implementation Phase

The Self-Efficacy Program aims to help

young mothers strengthen their parental role
in child feeding care through planned
activities.
Anchored from the four sources of Banduras
Self-Efficacy Theory; performance outcomes
(performance accomplishments), vicarious
experiences, verbal persuasion, and
physiological feedback (emotional arousal).

PROCESS OUTCOME FRAMEWORK

Evaluation Phase
After young mothers undergone the Self-Efficacy
Program, they are expected to acquire reinforced
confidence on child feeding care through enhanced
capabilities in managing the eating problems of
preschoolers thus later, resolved eating problems of
their preschoolers.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design
This study is an action research utilizing the descriptive
exploratory design focused on the Self Efficacy Program
designed to reinforce young mothers parenting role in child
feeding care capabilities to manage the eating problems of
their preschoolers.
The Self Efficacy Program involves one cycle with
three phases of nursing process, anchored from Banduras
Self Efficacy Theory.
It commences with a preparatory phase wherein
communication and coordination with the Bulilit Daycare
Center principal will be established for the permission to
conduct the research study at their program.

Phase I. Assessment
Aimed to identify the eating problems of
preschoolers and determine the difficulties of the
young mothers in managing the eating problems of
their preschoolers.
A formulated questionnaire for the research study
will be utilized.

Phase II. Planning and Implementation

It will focus on the development and actualization
of the Self-Efficacy Program to resolve the young
mothers needs, of strengthening their parenting
role in child feeding care.
The participants will be
throughout the program.

actively

involved

all

The planned activities are constructed into sessions

addressing to the four primary informational
sources of Banduras Social Cognitive Theory on
Self-Efficacy.

Phase II. Planning and Implementation

session one
It will include activities that enhance the vicarious
experiences of the participants. These activities include:
1. Audiovisual presentation on the common eating problems
of children and the difficulties of mothers to manage the
eating problems.
2. Lecture Forum on the effective management and possible
strategies for the different types of eating problems.
3. An invited Role Model who was once a mother, whom the
participants can relate with, will be rendering an
inspirational talk on her similar struggles, difficulties and
successes in managing the eating problems of her child.
Opportunities for questions and inquiries will be given
sufficient time between the participants and the role model.

Phase II. Planning and Implementation

second session
Activities that are included in the second session of
the program depict the Mastery Experience.
Child feeding care activities that will be included are:
1. Demonstration on food preparation of healthy,
affordable nutritious recipes and meal
presentation by an invited guest NutritionistDietician.
2. Participants will have the opportunity to return
demonstrate the acquired food preparation and
meal presentation techniques, and if needed,
corrective measures will be advised.

Phase II. Planning and Implementation

third session
Food Preparation and Meal Presentation Contest.
Young mothers will be the participants while their
preschool age children will be the judges of the
contest.
Documentation will be also conducted on this day
on how the Self-Efficacy Program enhanced young
mothers capabilities on feeding their
preschoolers.

Phase III. Evaluation

It will determine the outcomes of the
intervention approaches that will be
implemented during our research.
Feedbacks from young mothers with resolved
eating problems of their preschoolers with the
Self-Efficacy Program will be conducted.
Results of the Food Preparation Contest will
be the Researchers tool for evaluation.

Research Locale
The research study will be conducted at the
Bulilit Day Care Center, Barangay Sta. Maria,
Zamboanga City.

Study Population
The subject of the study will be young mothers of
preschoolers with eating problems enrolled at Bulilit Day
Care Center. This action research will employ a nonprobability sampling, specifically the purposive sampling
method with the following inclusion criteria:
1. Young mothers, ages 18 to 25 years old of
preschoolers with eating problems.
2. Preschoolers (2-5 years old) must be currently
enrolled at the Bulilit Center, morning and
afternoon classes for school year 2015-2016.
3. Willing to cooperate and participate in the action
research study.

Research Instrument
Tool I is an interview questionnaire checklist consisting of
two parts:
1.Part 1 refers to the demographic profile of the participants and
their preschoolers.
2.Part 2 is the Preschoolers Eating Problems Questionnaire
Checklist, inspired from the Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire
(CEBQ; Wardle et al., 2001) to assess the common eating problems
of preschoolers.
It is a multidimensional parent-report questionnaire that
measures the behavioral characteristics of the eating
problems.
The interview questionnaire is a twenty item measure with
responses ranging from 1 (never) to 5 (always). It includes four
subscales: selective eating, finicky eating, restrictive eating
and food refusal.

Research Instrument
Tool II consists of questions to determine
the difficulties experienced by young
mothers in managing the eating problems
of their preschoolers.
Tool III is an appraisal tool which will
determine young mothers acquired child
feeding care derived from the program.
Tool IV is the questioning route for the
focus group discussion conducted on the
benefits derived from the program.