The impact of COVID-19 on the eating habits of families engaged in a healthy eating pilot trial: a thematic analysis

Abstract

Background The eating habits of children and adults have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with evidence of increases in snacking and emotional eating, including eating to relieve boredom. We explored the experiences of families with children aged 4-8 years who had recently participated in a healthy eating pilot trial when the first national lockdown began in England. Methods Eleven mothers were interviewed in April and May 2020. Interview questions were developed based on the COM-B model of behaviour. Four main themes were constructed using inductive thematic analysis. Results The first theme related to an initial panic phase, in which having enough food was the primary concern. The second related to ongoing challenges during the lockdown, with sub-themes including difficulties accessing food, managing children's food requests and balancing home and work responsibilities. The perception that energy-dense foods met families' needs during this time led to increased purchasing of (and thus exposure to) energy-dense foods. In the third theme, families described a turning point, with a desire to eat a healthier diet than they had in the early stages of the lockdown. Finally, in the fourth theme, families reported a number of strategies for adapting and encouraging a balanced diet with their children. Conclusions Our results suggest that even if parents have the capability (e.g. knowledge) and motivation to provide a healthy diet for their family, opportunity challenges (e.g. time, access to resources, environmental stressors) mean this is not always practical. Healthy eating interventions should not assume parents lack motivation and should be sensitive to the context within which parents make feeding decisions.

Validation of the traditional Chinese version of the diabetes eating problem survey-revised and study of the prevalence of disordered eating patterns in Chinese patients with type 1 DM

“…The study was carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic, there were studies reflected the increases in snacking and emotional eating in the pandemic [ 74 ]. There are difficulties in maintaining weight management behaviours due to different psychosocial reasons [ 75 ].…”

Community Stakeholders’ Perceptions on Barriers and Facilitators to Food Security of Families with Children under Three Years before and during COVID-19

“…For instance, safety protocols and measures brought unique challenges to the food industry and its supply chain when isolation and quarantine orders increased consumption of and demand for non-perishable shelf-stable foods (i.e., canned foods, grains, and starchy foods) [ 35 , 54 , 55 ]. Similarly, a qualitative study found that the fear of food shortages and starvation during the onset of COVID-19 was a motivator for parents to stock up on food with a long shelf-life [ 56 ]. Unfortunately, these families stated that purchasing more energy-dense foods is convenient, more filling, and less expensive [ 56 ].…”

“…Similarly, a qualitative study found that the fear of food shortages and starvation during the onset of COVID-19 was a motivator for parents to stock up on food with a long shelf-life [ 56 ]. Unfortunately, these families stated that purchasing more energy-dense foods is convenient, more filling, and less expensive [ 56 ].…”

Cultural food distancing: a conceptual discourse on the evolution of seminal to present and future models of traditional food practices

“…Though, the recent pandemic may have given an unexpected jolt to this model as a clear distance from cultural norms has been observed. Published examples include the reduction of commensal food circles (Fourat et al, 2021;cf Sobal, 2003), including the many Muslims who were discouraged from participating in the traditional homecoming of Mudik and the disconnect of family relationships during Silaturahmi in Indonesia (Kusumawati et al, 2022); the travails of finding traditional foods by African students studying in the USA during COVID-19 (Ayande and Chilufya, 2021); food culture insecurity experienced by American and international university students in Nevada (Wright et al, 2021); and mothers reportedly unable to prepare desired meals of their social background due to product unavailability and the increased cost of procuring the ingredients in London (Porter et al, 2022). Steele et al (2020) expressed concerns over the aggressiveness in the advertising of ultraprocessed foods during the pandemic in Brazil.…”