Healthy eating behaviour on children and the role of family modelling

Abstract

Spahiu, E., Çitozi, R. & Zekaj, E. (2014). Healthy eating behaviour on children and the role of family modelling. J. Hum. Sport Exerc., 9(Proc1), pp.S300-S310. Most people's food and eating decisions are embedded in family food and eating subsystems and/or intimately connected to significant others. Our study aimed to evaluate the food behaviour in children aged 11, 13 and 15 years old in relation to the family models. Our study was conducted in order to evaluate the eating behaviour on children in relation to the family modelling. This study included children aged 11, 13 and 15 years old from Tirana (capital of Albania), of 5, 7, respectively 9 grade, both from the urban and rural environment. A total of 240 students were included in the study, as follows: 120 students from rural areas (40 students 11 years old, 40 students 13 years old, 40 students 15 years old), and from urban areas the same number. The data collection was done using an anonymous tool based on the questionnaire used for the HBSC (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children). As we know, it is very important to eat together as a family because healthy eating habits are formed by dining at home together. It is good that at least breakfast and dinner should be reserved to the whole family. A quite important percentage of students do not take breakfast in the family ever and this percentage increases by age. The study showed a prevalence of subjects from urban areas and a slight domination of girls. Most of the children have daily dinners with parents, even the proportion decreases by increasing age. More extended research is needed to confirm the situation at national level and to understand its causes. These should be followed by specific interventions aiming to raise awareness of the parents about their major role in influencing the children and in creating the basic premises for a healthy lifestyle in their adult life.

The Family as an Actor in High School Students’ Eating Habits: A Qualitative Research Study

“…Most of the examined studies relate a higher educational, economic and social level to healthier eating and healthier breakfast [4,16,19,21,27], and not having breakfast or dinner as a family with an increased consumption of unhealthy food [13][14][15]26]. The importance and influence of the family in the quality of breakfast and food in general is closely related [12,14,22,27], coinciding with what was extracted from our analysis. The variability in the types of breakfast practiced within the family itself makes us reflect on the family educational models and the specific characteristics of the human being, that differentiate us, even at such early ages.…”

“…Parental health-promoting behaviours are related to what their adolescent children practice [12][13][14][15][16][17], especially breakfast habits [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]. Parents also have an active role in the prevention of certain non-desired habits regarding food consumption [28].…”

“…In the literature analysis, we find that most studies relate better eating habits and the consumption of a healthier breakfast with a higher education, economic and social level of families [4,16,19,21,27], and these studies also relate skipping breakfast and dinner as a family with a higher consumption of non-healthy food [13][14][15]26].…”