Social food practices of children in the low-income Russian families

Abstract

The article is based on the results of the study of social practices of nutrition of children in low-income Russian families. The authors consider approaches to the study of food practices as a historically and culturally determined phenomenon, which is in many respects connected with social-economic characteristics and problems of the contemporary society. The quality of nutrition is defined as the main indicator of the social-economic development of the country determining public health and social potential. Today the Russian society is characterized by the deterioration of the children and adolescents’ health, including due to the decrease in the nutritional value of the family food consumption. The current situation proves the social significance of the problem of nutrition for children and other groups of population, which is manifested in the close relationship between the dietary practices and the content of the national projects implemented in Russia. The article presents the data of official statistics and the results of the survey conducted in the Republic of Bashkortostan, which characterize the existing and emerging food practices in Russian families as depending on their incomes and number of children. According to the results of the survey, for 35% of families the food expenses make up to 30-40% of their income, for 26% - 40-50%, while the share of 20-25% is considered the global threshold of poverty. With an increase in the level of income, the share of food expenses decreases, and vice versa; and the nutrition in small families is much better and diverse than in large families, i.e. the social nutrition practices of the Russian families depend on their incomes and living standards.