Communicating about eating behaviors. A qualitative study of Chilean women and their health-care providers

Abstract

Good communication between health care providers (HCPs) and patients is critical in achieving positive health outcomes. The purpose of this article was to compare the perceptions of Chilean woman and their HCPs with respect to determinants of eating behaviors. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with women (n=15) visiting a public health care center in Chile and with their HCPs (n=8) who were in charge of promoting healthy eating behaviors among women. Data from the interviews indicated similarities and inconsistencies in determinants of eating behaviors between the groups. Both mentioned many important factors that influence women's eating behaviors, including food preferences, dietary knowledge, self-control and self-efficacy, family, food cost, and food availability. HCPs appeared to be less aware of the role that personality traits and past experiences play as potential determinants which women mentioned. In contrast, women were less aware of the influence of anxiety and low self-esteem on eating choices, which HCPs noted as key factors. Although it was encouraging to see agreement between women and their HCPs in some areas, it is important to work on increasing understanding among the groups with respect to the important role psychological factors play in influencing eating behavior. We suggest that HCPs should focus on the importance of women's personality traits and past eating behaviors, as well as work on improving women's self-esteem and helping to decrease their anxiety levels. HCPs should be encouraged to develop good communication with each person in order to help them understand the roles that external and internal factors play in eating behaviors.

Diet and physical activity for children's health: a qualitative study of Nepalese mothers’ perceptions

“…Further, participants thought that individuals should improve their dietary habits only after becoming ill. English and Chilean women share similar views. 42 43 Also, most of our participants reported that they cook separately (and healthily) only for family members who are sick. Despite their knowledge that oily and salty food is harmful to the heart, mothers appeared unaware of their own disease risk and hence maintained an unhealthy diet.…”

“…Other studies support these findings. 43 49 In addition, many mothers accused family members of interfering with their efforts to control the quality of their children's diets (eg, buying candy for the children). Young mothers in Western Australia reported the same barrier.…”

Perspectives of Muslim husbands' roles in women's health and cancer in Indonesia

“…They shared that food containing chemical substance may cause the causes of dangerous diseases such as cancer. This finding is in contrast to a qualitative study of eating behaviours of Chilean women which found that although husbands were concerned about their family's nutrition, their actions as the controller of what foods were purchased meant that unhealthy food, for example, fatty foods, which are detrimental to the health of all in the family, were regularly purchased (Galvez, Valencia, Palomino, Cataldo, & Schwingel, 2015). For Muslims, eating good food is linked to Islamic teaching.…”