Identification of positive parenting practices among parents of young children living in low-income and racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse households

The home food environment (HFE) can have important direct and indirect impacts on dietary practices. Nutrient transitions in the HFE of Pacific Island countries (PICs) are key contributors of the high rates of adult and childhood overweight and obesity in the region. Pacifica mothers are important sociocultural agents who play critical roles in their HFE through setting eating-appropriateness standards and mitigating the impacts of food availability and accessibility on the HFE. This study used an interpretative phenomenological approach to explore how urban indigenous Fijian mothers perceive healthy eating and how these perceptions impacted the food decisions they made for their families. Mothers in this study held complex, multifaceted perceptions on healthy eating and these perceptions had both positive and negative impacts on the family food choices they made, the strategies they adopted for healthy eating and their perceived motivators for healthy eating. The findings of this study underscore the need for a deeper understanding and analysis of uptake of public health messaging related to healthy and unhealthy eating and the importance of targeted promotion of healthful nutrition in this community. Promoting consumption of traditional and locally grown foods can enhance nutrition and food security and combat nutrition transition in the region.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Perceptions on Healthy Eating Impact the Home Food Environment: A Qualitative Exploration of Perceptions of Indigenous Food Gatekeepers in Urban Fiji

Buksh,

Hay,

de Wit

2023

“…In-depth semi-structured interviews with a sample of 71 parents of racially diverse children ages 2–5 years (approximately 50% with BMI-for-age ≥ 85th percentile) who participated in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) revealed support for the sDOR tenets among the caregiver feeding practices of children who were at a healthy BMI. Caregivers of children in the 5th-85th percentile for BMI-for-age were more likely to report having a consistent routine for providing meals, using a guided choices approach, serving small portions of food during mealtimes, and trusting their child’s hunger and satiety cues compared to caregivers of children ≥ 85th percentile for BMI-for-age [ 49 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The sDOR.2-6y™ Is a Valid Measure of Nutrition Risk Independent of BMI-for-Age z-Score and Household Food Security Status in Preschool Aged-Children

Ruder,

Lohse

2024

Parents’ feeding practices are a function of child eating behaviors, health, and other factors. Adherence to the Satter Division of Responsibility in Feeding (sDOR) model has not been examined relating to child BMI, household food security, or child eating behavior. This study evaluates the adherence to sDOR in relation to child eating behavior, nutrition risk, BMI-for-age, dietary intake, and food security. Ninety-one parent–child (3 to <6 years) dyads completed a cross-sectional asymmetric survey in August–November 2019; n = 69 parents from the original sample completed additional and retrospective questions in June 2021. Main outcomes included sDOR adherence (sDOR.2-6y™), a Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ), nutrition risk (NutriSTEP®), the USDA 6-item screener, the Block Kids Food Screener, and eating competence (ecSI 2.0™). The children’s weight and height were investigator-measured. Associations were tested with Pearson’s r and Chi Square for continuous and categorical variables, independent sample t-test, one-way ANOVA, or Mann–Whitney U compared means. The dietary comparisons used Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient. sDOR adherence was associated with a lower nutrition risk (r = 0.26, p = 0.03) and showed convergent validation with child eating behavior for three child eating behavior (CEBQ) constructs. sDOR.2-6y™ was not related to the child BMI-for-age z-score (r = 0.11, p = 0.39, n = 69). NutriSTEP® was associated with dietary quality and higher ecSI 2.0TM (r = 0.32, p = 0.008, n = 69). No associations between sDOR.2-6y™ and food security or dietary intake were noted.

“…Conversely, practices like unhealthy home options and permissiveness relate to unhealthy food intake, associated with high body weight [ 45 ]. Positive feeding practices, especially in socio-economically disadvantaged and culturally diverse households, include a regular mealtime schedule, guided food choices, modest portions, and respecting the child’s hunger and satiety cues [ 47 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutritional Quality of the Mid-Afternoon Snack of Schooled Children between the Ages of 3 and 12 Years in Three Areas in Spain

González-Campins,

Soler,

Guasch-Niubó

et al. 2024

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze the nutritional quality of mid-afternoon snacks for schooled children aged 3 to 12 years in three areas of Catalonia (Spain). Methods: A descriptive observational study collected information on habits and the mid-afternoon snack of 782 schooled children aged 3 to 12 years in three cities, Barcelona, Girona, and Lleida, located in Catalonia (Spain). The children’s families voluntarily agreed to complete an online questionnaire that collected information about demographic data and snacking habits in the afternoon, as well as a record of mid-afternoon snack intake over three school days. Results: A total of 2163 mid-afternoon snacks were analyzed from a sample of 764 families with 3 to 12 year-old children. Sandwiches emerged as the most prevalent choice, accounting for 41.89%, followed by pastries at 23.86%, fruit at 14.38%, and a combination of fruit and pastries at 6.29%. Of the mid-afternoon snacks recorded, 22.19% were healthy, 20.90% were quite healthy, 12.85% were quite unhealthy, and 44.06% were unhealthy. Conclusions: The nutritional quality of mid-afternoon snacks for a large majority of schooled children should be improved. It is essential to develop food education programs to improve the quality of this intake from early childhood and to consider it as an opportunity to adjust the daily dietary requirements of Spanish children.