Family Mealtime Practices Research Articles

Pengaruh Peran Orang Tua dan Aksesibilitas Buah dan Sayuran terhadap Rendahnya Konsumsi Buah dan Sayur pada Anak Pra Sekolah di Kota Bima Nusa Tenggara Barat

Early childhood is critical to the development of lifelong food habits. Given the high proportion of children with inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption, identification of modifiable factors associated with higher consumption may be useful in developing interventions to address this public health issue. The aim of the present study was to investigate factors that affect fruit and vegetable consumption in a sample of Mpunda districts preschool children. Methods using A cross-sectional telephone survey and questioner was conducted with 60 parents of 3 to 5 year-old children. Children’s fruit and vegetable consumption was measured using a valid and reliable subscale from the Children’s Dietary Questionnaire. Associations were investigated between children’s fruit and vegetable intake and characteristics of the home food environment including parental role-modeling, parental providing behaviour, fruit and vegetable availability, fruit and vegetable accessibility, pressure to eat, education and knowlwdge, family mealtime practices. Characteristics of the home food environment that showed evidence of an association with children’s fruit and vegetable consumption in simple regression models were entered into a backwards stepwise multiple regression analysis. The multiple regression analysis found positive associations between children’s fruit and vegetable consumption and parental fruit and vegetable intake (p = 0.004), and accessibility (p = 0.002).

Associations of family feeding and mealtime practices with children's overall diet quality: Results from a prospective population-based cohort

Food parenting practices are considered to have a key influence on children's dietary habits, with potential long term effects. In this study, we explored the associations of parental feeding practices and family mealtime practices in early childhood with children's overall diet quality at school age among 3626 parents and their children in a population-based cohort study in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Parental feeding practices (monitoring, pressure to eat, and restriction) and family mealtime practices (meal skipping behaviors and family meal frequency) at age 4 years were assessed by parental questionnaires. Children's dietary intake was assessed at age 8 years using a food-frequency questionnaire, from which diet quality scores (range 0–10) were calculated, reflecting adherence to age-specific dietary guidelines. Using multivariable linear regression models, we found that monitoring was associated with higher diet quality of children (β = 0.12; 95%CI: 0.08, 0.16), whereas pressure to eat was associated with lower diet quality (β = −0.08; 95%CI: −0.12, −0.04)), both independent of child BMI. Restriction was associated with a higher child diet quality, but this association was explained by child BMI. As compared to children who did not skip meals, children who skipped meals had a lower diet quality (e.g. breakfast skipping: β = −0.32; 95%CI: −0.48, −0.17). Similarly, children who had less frequent family meals had a lower diet quality compared with those who had family meals every day (e.g. family dinner ≤2 days/week: β = −0.37; 95%CI: −0.60, −0.14). These associations were not driven by single food groups. In conclusion, parental monitoring and family mealtime routines in early childhood may provide a supportive food environment that promotes children's overall diet quality. Longitudinal studies with repeated measurements are needed to replicate our findings.

Intersectional research stories of responsibilising the family for food, feeding and health in the twenty-first century

PurposeLiterature from across the social sciences and research evidence are used to highlight interdisciplinary and intersectional research approaches to food and family. Responsibilisation emerges as an important thematic thread, as family has (compared with the state and corporations) been increasingly made responsible for its members’ health and diet.Design/methodology/approachThree questions are addressed: first, to what extent food is fundamentally social, and integral to family identity, as reflected in the sociology of food; second, how debates about families and food are embedded in global, political and market systems; and third, how food work and caring became constructed as gendered.FindingsInterest in food can be traced back to early explorations of class, political economy, the development of commodity culture and gender relations. Research across the social sciences and humanities draws on concepts that are implicitly sociological. Food production, mortality and dietary patterns are inextricably linked to the economic/social organisation of capitalist societies, including its gender-based divisions of domestic labour. DeVault’s (1991) groundbreaking work reveals the physical and emotional work of providing/feeding families, and highlights both its class and gendered dimensions. Family mealtime practices have come to play a key role in the emotional reinforcement of the idea of the nuclear family.Originality/valueThis study highlights the imperative to take pluri-disciplinary and intersectional approaches to researching food and family. In addition, this paper emphasises that feeding the family is an inherently political, moral, ethical, social and emotional process, frequently associated with gendered constructions.

Family Education Program Improves Diet, Family Meals, and Physical Activity with Interactive Demonstrations

To improve dietary behaviors (reduce sugar and salt intake, read nutrition labels, increase fruit/vegetable intake, and increase family meals), and increase physical activity (adults 30-60 minutes, children 60 minutes, most days of the week). Multiple factors can contribute to childhood obesity, including diet, minimal physical activity, home environment, parental modeling, and family mealtime practices. Family meals can serve to promote healthy behaviors and strengthen family connectivity. Sustainable wellness behaviors are more often achieved with family participation. Family, Food, & Fun! is a four-week family wellness education program in Killeen, TX. Families receive health lessons reinforced with interactive cooking and fitness demonstrations. Children participate in a cooking competition at the end of the program, judged by local celebrities. Participant data collected at weeks 1 and 4, and 12 months include a fitness assessment, biometrics, physical activity tracker data, and daily food/activity journals. Preliminary data indicate participants significantly improved on the fitness assessment by the end of the four week program (p=0.0002). Dietary, biometric, activity tracker and long-term follow-up data are currently being analyzed. Family, Food, & Fun! is a family-centered wellness education program targeting a low-socioeconomic community and promoting healthy eating behaviors, physical activity and family connectivity. The results of this program will be applicable to healthcare and community organizations focused on wellness promotion and obesity prevention in children.

Associations Between Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Nonresponsive Feeding Styles and Practices in Mothers of Young Children: A Systematic Review.

BackgroundChildhood obesity is a significant global public health problem due to increasing rates worldwide. Growing evidence suggests that nonresponsive parental feeding styles and practices are important influences on children’s eating behaviors and weight status, especially during early childhood. Therefore, understanding parental factors that may influence nonresponsive parental feeding styles and practices is significant for the development of interventions to prevent childhood obesity.ObjectiveThe objectives of this systematic review were to (1) identify and review existing research examining the associations between maternal depressive symptoms and use of nonresponsive feeding styles and practices among mothers of young children (2-8 years of age), (2) highlight the limitations of reviewed studies, and (3) generate suggestions for future research.MethodsUsing the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols) guidelines, six electronic academic databases were searched for peer-reviewed, full-text papers published in English between January 2000 and June 2016. Only studies with mothers 18+ years old of normally developing children between 2 and 8 years of age were included. Of the 297 citations identified, 35 full-text papers were retrieved and 8 were reviewed.ResultsThe reviewed studies provided mixed evidence for associations between maternal depressive symptoms and nonresponsive feeding styles and practices. Two out of three studies reported positive associations with nonresponsive feeding styles, in that mothers with elevated depressive symptoms were more likely than mothers without those symptoms to exhibit uninvolved and permissive or indulgent feeding styles. Furthermore, results of reviewed studies provide good evidence for association between maternal depressive symptoms and instrumental feeding (3 of 3 reviewed studies) and nonresponsive family mealtime practices (3/3), but mixed evidence for pressuring children to eat (3/6) and emotional feeding (1/3). In addition, evidence for the association between maternal depressive symptoms and restricting child food intake was mixed: one study (1/6) found a positive association; two studies (2/6) found a negative association; whereas one study (1/6) found no association.ConclusionsThis review indicates that the results of studies examining the associations between maternal depressive symptoms and parental feeding styles and practices are mixed. Limitations of studies included in this review should be noted: (1) the use of a diverse set of self-report questionnaires to assess parental feeding practices is problematic due to potential misclassification and makes it difficult to compare these outcomes across studies, thus caution must be taken in drawing conclusions; and (2) the majority of included studies (6/8) were cross-sectional. There is a need for additional longitudinal studies to disentangle the influence of depression on parental feeding styles and practices. Nevertheless, given that depressive symptoms and feeding styles and practices are potentially modifiable, it is important to understand their relationship to inform obesity prevention interventions and programs.

The Family Mealtime Study: Understanding Occurrences During and Surrounding Family Mealtimes

ObjectiveResearch showed that family mealtimes (FM) positively impact youth's dietary behaviors. However, the process is unclear. Understanding the processes can clarify how FM impact youth. This knowledge can be used to design better educational programming for families - a step towards obesity prevention. This mixed methods study aims to identify occurrences around FM that impact youths' dietary behaviors to promote positive FM with the goal of obesity prevention.Design, Setting and ParticipantsOne hundred parent-child dyads completed surveys. A subsample of 40 families participated in mealtime observations. Twenty parents were interviewed. Data collection was conducted in the participants’ homes.Outcome Measures and AnalysisParent-child dietary behaviors, family mealtime practices, mealtime-related occurrences, and thoughts about family mealtimes were analyzed using SPSS and NVivo.ResultsCorrelations showed that youth who had frequent FM (77%, ≥ 5 times/week) and healthy food at home had healthier food preferences. Parents who prioritized FM had youth who did not use media during FM (> 60%). Families that used media during FM consumed less healthy meals and had parents who modeled unhealthy eating. Parents who valued FM and who modeled healthy eating behaviors had youth who ate out less. Parents who practiced controlling feeding had youth with more weight concerns. Qualitative findings showed that FM is a platform through which socialization processes occur, and mealtimes were important for family bonding. Mealtime routines, financial resources, and time were also important components of FM.Conclusions and ImplicationsObesity prevention interventions should include educating parents to develop positive mealtime practices, to build relationships between family members, and to reduce mealtime media usage.FundingUSDA, Transdisciplinary Childhood Obesity Prevention (TOP) Program. ObjectiveResearch showed that family mealtimes (FM) positively impact youth's dietary behaviors. However, the process is unclear. Understanding the processes can clarify how FM impact youth. This knowledge can be used to design better educational programming for families - a step towards obesity prevention. This mixed methods study aims to identify occurrences around FM that impact youths' dietary behaviors to promote positive FM with the goal of obesity prevention. Research showed that family mealtimes (FM) positively impact youth's dietary behaviors. However, the process is unclear. Understanding the processes can clarify how FM impact youth. This knowledge can be used to design better educational programming for families - a step towards obesity prevention. This mixed methods study aims to identify occurrences around FM that impact youths' dietary behaviors to promote positive FM with the goal of obesity prevention. Design, Setting and ParticipantsOne hundred parent-child dyads completed surveys. A subsample of 40 families participated in mealtime observations. Twenty parents were interviewed. Data collection was conducted in the participants’ homes. One hundred parent-child dyads completed surveys. A subsample of 40 families participated in mealtime observations. Twenty parents were interviewed. Data collection was conducted in the participants’ homes. Outcome Measures and AnalysisParent-child dietary behaviors, family mealtime practices, mealtime-related occurrences, and thoughts about family mealtimes were analyzed using SPSS and NVivo. Parent-child dietary behaviors, family mealtime practices, mealtime-related occurrences, and thoughts about family mealtimes were analyzed using SPSS and NVivo. ResultsCorrelations showed that youth who had frequent FM (77%, ≥ 5 times/week) and healthy food at home had healthier food preferences. Parents who prioritized FM had youth who did not use media during FM (> 60%). Families that used media during FM consumed less healthy meals and had parents who modeled unhealthy eating. Parents who valued FM and who modeled healthy eating behaviors had youth who ate out less. Parents who practiced controlling feeding had youth with more weight concerns. Qualitative findings showed that FM is a platform through which socialization processes occur, and mealtimes were important for family bonding. Mealtime routines, financial resources, and time were also important components of FM. Correlations showed that youth who had frequent FM (77%, ≥ 5 times/week) and healthy food at home had healthier food preferences. Parents who prioritized FM had youth who did not use media during FM (> 60%). Families that used media during FM consumed less healthy meals and had parents who modeled unhealthy eating. Parents who valued FM and who modeled healthy eating behaviors had youth who ate out less. Parents who practiced controlling feeding had youth with more weight concerns. Qualitative findings showed that FM is a platform through which socialization processes occur, and mealtimes were important for family bonding. Mealtime routines, financial resources, and time were also important components of FM. Conclusions and ImplicationsObesity prevention interventions should include educating parents to develop positive mealtime practices, to build relationships between family members, and to reduce mealtime media usage. Obesity prevention interventions should include educating parents to develop positive mealtime practices, to build relationships between family members, and to reduce mealtime media usage.

Associations between characteristics of the home food environment and fruit and vegetable intake in preschool children: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundEarly childhood is critical to the development of lifelong food habits. Given the high proportion of children with inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption, identification of modifiable factors associated with higher consumption may be useful in developing interventions to address this public health issue. This study aimed to identify the characteristics of the home food environment that are associated with higher fruit and vegetable consumption in a sample of Australian preschool children.MethodsA cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted with 396 parents of 3 to 5 year-old children attending 30 preschools within the Hunter region, New South Wales, Australia. Children's fruit and vegetable consumption was measured using a valid and reliable subscale from the Children's Dietary Questionnaire. Associations were investigated between children's fruit and vegetable intake and characteristics of the home food environment including parental role-modeling, parental providing behaviour, fruit and vegetable availability, fruit and vegetable accessibility, pressure to eat, family eating policies and family mealtime practices. Characteristics of the home food environment that showed evidence of an association with children's fruit and vegetable consumption in simple regression models were entered into a backwards stepwise multiple regression analysis. The multiple regression analysis used generalised linear mixed models, controlled for parental education, household income and child gender, and was adjusted for the correlation between children's fruit and vegetable consumption within a preschool.ResultsThe multiple regression analysis found positive associations between children's fruit and vegetable consumption and parental fruit and vegetable intake (p = 0.005), fruit and vegetable availability (p = 0.006) and accessibility (p = 0.012), the number of occasions each day that parents provided their child with fruit and vegetables (p < 0.001), and allowing children to eat only at set meal times all or most of the time (p = 0.006). Combined, these characteristics of the home food environment accounted for 48% of the variation in the child's fruit and vegetable score.ConclusionsThis study identified a range of modifiable characteristics within the home food environment that are associated with fruit and vegetable consumption among preschool children. Such characteristics could be considered potential targets for interventions to promote intake among children of this age.

Forms and functions of family mealtimes: Multidisciplinary perspectives

This introduction to the volume examines the evolution of contemporary family mealtime practices and how they have changed, and it synthesizes theory and research from across disciplines regarding the opportunities that mealtimes provide for child and adolescent development.