Researchers talked to 21 parents and 4 kids to understand what families think about heart health and how to keep hearts strong. They found that parents care about their kids’ heart health but face real challenges like not having enough money for gym memberships or healthy food, and not having time to exercise together. The study also showed that families don’t talk much about heart health at home, and that stress and worry can affect the heart. The researchers suggest that communities need to offer affordable fitness programs, cheaper healthy food options, and help families deal with stress to improve heart health for everyone.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: What do parents think about keeping their children’s hearts healthy, and what gets in the way of doing it?
  • Who participated: 21 parents with children under 18 years old and 4 children themselves. The study included families from various backgrounds who shared their honest thoughts about heart health through conversations.
  • Key finding: Parents care about heart health but struggle with real barriers: they can’t afford gym memberships or healthy food, don’t have enough time, and rarely talk with their kids about heart health. Stress and emotions also play a bigger role in heart health than many families realize.
  • What it means for you: If you’re a parent, this research suggests that improving your family’s heart health doesn’t require expensive gym memberships. Instead, focus on affordable activities you can do together, talk openly with your kids about heart health, and pay attention to managing stress and emotions as a family.

The Research Details

Researchers used a qualitative study design, which means they had in-depth conversations with people rather than collecting numbers and statistics. They interviewed 21 parents and 4 children separately using semi-structured interviews, which is like a guided conversation where researchers ask questions but let people share their thoughts freely.

The researchers recorded and wrote down everything people said, then carefully read through all the conversations looking for common themes and patterns. They kept analyzing until they heard the same ideas repeated enough times that they felt confident they understood the main themes—this is called reaching “saturation.” The child interviews were analyzed separately to understand how young people think about heart health differently than adults.

This approach is important because it helps researchers understand the real, human reasons why families do or don’t take care of their hearts. Numbers alone can’t capture the struggles parents face or what they actually believe about heart health. By listening to families talk about their experiences, researchers can design programs that actually work for real people with real lives.

The study reached thematic saturation, meaning the researchers heard the same ideas enough times to be confident in their findings. However, this is a small study with only 25 people total, so the findings may not apply to all families everywhere. The study was published in BMC Public Health, a respected journal. Because this is qualitative research (conversations rather than numbers), it’s better at exploring “why” questions than proving cause-and-effect relationships.

What the Results Show

Eight main themes emerged from the conversations. Parents showed genuine interest in heart health but had limited knowledge about what it really means. Most parents defined heart health narrowly—mainly thinking about exercise—rather than understanding it as something connected to emotions, stress, and overall well-being.

The biggest barriers families faced were practical: gym memberships and healthy food cost too much money, and parents didn’t have enough time to exercise with their kids. Families did try to support heart health through shared activities like walking or playing together, but these conversations weren’t intentional or planned—they just happened naturally.

A surprising finding was how much parents connected emotions and stress to heart health. Many mentioned that worry, anxiety, and negative feelings affect the heart. However, families rarely talked directly about heart health at home, and kids often learned about it only at school or from doctors.

Parents wanted more information and resources about heart health but didn’t know where to find them. They valued community programs but needed them to be flexible and affordable. Healthcare providers were seen as important sources of information, but parents felt doctors could do more to actively encourage heart-healthy behaviors. The study also found that children understood heart health differently than their parents, often thinking about it in simpler terms related to exercise and feeling good.

This research adds important new information because most previous studies focused on what doctors and scientists think about heart health, not what families actually believe and experience. By listening to parents’ real perspectives, this study fills a gap in understanding why families sometimes struggle to maintain heart health even when they want to. The findings support previous research showing that cost and time are major barriers to healthy living, and they add new insight about the emotional connection to heart health.

This study is small with only 25 people, so the findings may not represent all families everywhere. The study doesn’t tell us whether these barriers and beliefs are the same in different communities or cultures. Because researchers had conversations rather than measuring specific behaviors, we can’t prove that these beliefs directly cause certain health outcomes. The study also doesn’t follow families over time to see if their views change or if they actually make changes based on their beliefs.

The Bottom Line

Based on this research, communities should create affordable fitness programs and make healthy food cheaper and more accessible. Healthcare providers should talk more actively with families about heart health and help them understand that managing stress and emotions is just as important as exercise. Families should start having conversations about heart health at home and look for free or low-cost activities they can do together. Moderate confidence: These recommendations come from what families said they need, but they haven’t been tested yet to prove they actually work.

Parents with children of any age should care about this research because it shows real barriers they might be facing. Healthcare providers should pay attention because it suggests they could do more to support families. Community leaders and policymakers should care because it points to the need for affordable programs. This research is less relevant for families with plenty of money and time, though the emotional health connection may still apply to everyone.

Changes won’t happen overnight. If families start having conversations about heart health and reduce stress together, they might notice improvements in mood and energy within weeks. Physical health improvements from more activity and better food typically take 2-3 months to become noticeable. Long-term heart health benefits build over years of consistent healthy habits.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track family heart-healthy activities together: log free or low-cost activities you do as a family (walks, playing outside, dancing) and note how often you have conversations about heart health. Aim for at least 2-3 family activities per week and one heart health conversation per week.
  • Use the app to set reminders for family activities that don’t cost money, create a shared family goal for heart health, and track stress-management activities like family walks or relaxation time. Share progress with family members through the app to encourage accountability and celebrate wins together.
  • Over the next 3 months, track: (1) frequency of family heart-healthy activities, (2) number of family conversations about heart health, (3) stress levels before and after activities, and (4) barriers you encounter (cost, time, access). Review monthly to see patterns and adjust your approach based on what’s actually working for your family.

This research describes what parents think and experience regarding heart health—it is not medical advice. The findings come from conversations with a small group of families and may not apply to everyone. If you have concerns about your child’s heart health or your own, please consult with a healthcare provider. This study does not replace professional medical evaluation or treatment. Always speak with a doctor before making significant changes to exercise routines or diet, especially if anyone in your family has existing health conditions.