Diet quality and satisfaction with different domains of life in single- and dual-headed households: Comparing mother-adolescent dyads

Abstract

The objectives of the present study were to compare the diet quality, nutritional status and satisfaction with life, food related life and family life between mothers and adolescent children from single and dual-headed households. In Temuco, Chile, families composed of single mothers and married or cohabiting mothers with one child aged between 10 and 17 years answered a questionnaire that included the Adapted Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Satisfaction with Food-related Life (SWFoL) scale and Satisfaction with Family Life (SWFaL) scale. Continuous variables were analyzed using a dyadic hierarchical multilevel mixed model for distinguishable dyads. To analyze nutritional status, the between-dyads independent variable procedure for categorical data was performed using a Mann-Withney U test. Mothers and adolescents from single-headed and dual-headed families did not significantly differ in their AHEI scores. The proportion of overweight and obese mothers and adolescent children was higher in dual-headed households. Type of household did not influence the SWLS, SWFoL, and SWFaL of mothers, whereas adolescents from dual-headed households had higher SWFaL. Strategies to improve diet quality should be developed and implemented regardless of the family structure, yet interventions to improve nutritional status should be targeted at dual-headed households. Also, special emphasis should be given to improving the satisfaction with family life in adolescents from single-headed households.