Impact of a Grocery Store Tour on Parental Perception of Their Adolescent Child’s Presence and Role

Abstract

To evaluate perceptions of parents regarding grocery shopping with their children, before and three months after attending a grocery store tour. Sixty-one parents and their 11- to 14-year-old children were randomly assigned to an adult-led (AL n=21) or teen-led (TL; n=20) grocery store tour or to a no-intervention group (n=20). Families in AL and TL groups attended one, 90-minute tour. Adult and teen leaders of these tours received identical training on tour curriculum. Before and three months after the tour or no-intervention period, each parent reported their perceptions about grocery shopping with their child on an 8-item semi-quantitative investigator-designed questionnaire. Parents were primarily Caucasian (77%), female (90%), and aged 43±6.5 years (mean±SD), while adolescents were primarily Caucasian (79%), female (55%), and aged 11.9±1.1 years. At baseline, 62% of parents reported that shopping with their children was as desirable as shopping alone, and 78% of parents reported that their children were helpful with the process. Eight percent of parents perceived that shopping with their children was no different than shopping alone, and 6% noted that their purchases were no different. Eighty-three percent of parents indicated that their children requested sweets and snacks while shopping, and 41% reported that their children requested fruits and vegetables. These perceptions did not differ before or three months after the tours and did not differ between groups. Peer- or adult-led grocery store tours did not impact parental perceptions regarding their child’s engagement in grocery shopping. Participation in a single grocery store tour may not be effective in altering parental perceptions of their child’s role in grocery shopping.