Holistic understanding of health is one of the key principles
of health promotion indicating that the health status of
individuals and populations is determined by a variety of
environmental, economic, social and personal factors.
Traditionally, research focus has been on school-aged children
and school-based interventions and less on pre-school
children and their families’ engagement in promoting health
in everyday life. The aim of the present study was to explore
factors that parents of pre-school children in the Nordic
countries experienced as influencing health lifestyles in their
children’s everyday lives. Semi-structured interviews were
conducted with 25 parents of pre-school children in the five
Nordic countries. Qualitative content analysis was used to
analyse the data. The parents identified themselves as the
primary shapers of their children’s lifestyles and described
influencing factors related to themselves as well as to their
immediate surroundings and the larger society. Attaining a
health lifestyle in everyday life of Nordic parents with preschool
children appeared to be all about the ‘management
of time when attempting to live up to expectations’. Preschool
children’s lifestyles are to a great extent intertwined
with their parent’s lifestyles and should be approached, both
in research and practice, accordingly. Parents of pre-school
children in the Nordic countries appear to be living their
everyday lives straining to adapt to norms prevailing in
society and may need encouragement and support in managing
time in order to promote health lifestyles for themselves
and their children