Family and food variables that influence life satisfaction of mother-father-adolescent triads in a South American country

Revisiting the link between domain satisfaction and life satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic: Job-related moderators in triadic analysis in dual-earner parents with adolescent children

Introduction

Research has evaluated the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns on individuals' life satisfaction, but wellbeing interrelations between family members in this context have been less explored. This study examined the spillover and crossover effects of one parent's job satisfaction (JS), satisfaction with family life (SWFaL) and satisfaction with food-related life (SWFoL) on their own, their partner's, and their adolescent children's life satisfaction (LS), and the influence of adolescents' SWFaL and SWFoL on their own and their parents' LS, in dual-earner families with adolescents. The moderating role of job-related variables of both parents were also explored.

Methods

Questionnaires were administered to 860 dual-earner parents with adolescents in two cities in Chile during 2020. Mothers and fathers answered the Overall Job Satisfaction Scale and the three family members answered the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Satisfaction with Family Life Scale and the Satisfaction with Food-related Life Scale.

Results

Using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model and structural equation modeling, we found that fathers' LS was positively associated with their own JS, SWFaL and SWFoL (spillover), and negatively with adolescents' SWFoL (crossover). Likewise, mothers' LS was positively associated with their own JS, SWFaL and SWFoL (spillover), with fathers' and adolescents' SWFaL, and negatively with adolescents' SWFoL. Adolescents' LS was positively associated with their own SWFaL and SWFoL (spillover), and with their fathers' JS, and negatively with their fathers' SWFoL. JS showed gendered patterns in spillover and crossover associations. Parents' type of employment, mothers' working hours and city of residence moderated some spillover and crossover associations for father-mother and parent-adolescent dyads.

Discussion

These findings suggest that, for dual-earner parents with adolescents, improving individuals' LS requires interventions that should be carried out not individually, but at a family level.

Satisfaction with Food: Profiles of Two-Parent Families with Adolescent Children

The objectives of this study were to distinguish family profiles based on the level of satisfaction with food-related life (SWFoL) of mothers, fathers, and adolescents, and to characterize the profiles based on the three family members' diet quality and nutritional status, family's eating habits, parental feeding practices, parent's nutritional knowledge, and sociodemographic characteristics. Questionnaires were applied to a sample of 300 two-parent families with adolescent children, aged between 10 and 17 years, in Temuco, Chile. The questionnaires used were: satisfaction with food-related life (SWFoL); adapted healthy eating index (AHEI); family eating habits questionnaire (FEHQ); and the nutritional knowledge subscale. They also answered questions about eating habits and provided data to determine BMI and sociodemographic characteristics. Four different profiles were identified with respect to SWFoL: "Families satisfied with their food" (50.6%); "Fathers and mothers moderately satisfied with their food, children satisfied" (23.2%); "Families extremely satisfied with their food" (16.6%); and "Fathers and mothers satisfied with their food, children extremely dissatisfied" (9.7%). The profiles demonstrated heterogeneity in SWFoL. Higher levels of SWFoL (mothers, fathers and adolescents) were associated with healthier eating habits. These results contribute to new studies that enable understanding of how families' healthy eating habits are part of improving quality of life.

Contributions of Work-to-Family Enrichment to Parental Food Monitoring and Satisfaction with Food-Related Life during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Dual-Earner Parents and Their Adolescent Children

Evidence shows that numerous family-related variables influence parents’ use of different food parenting practices (FPP), but less is known about the influence of parents’ work-related variables on their use of FPP, and their own and their children’s outcomes in the food domain. To fill this gap, the present study explored intra-individual and inter-individual effects between work-to-family enrichment (WtoFE), parents’ monitoring practices, the adolescent’s perception of their parents’ monitoring practices, and the three family members’ satisfaction with food-related life (SWFoL), in different-sex dual-earner parents with adolescent children. The mediating role of monitoring between WtoFE and SWFoL was also tested. A sample of 430 different-sex dual-earner parents and one of their adolescent children (average age 13.0 years, 53.7% female) were recruited in Rancagua, Chile, during March and June 2020. The three family members answered the monitoring dimension of the Compressive Feeding Practices Questionnaire and the Satisfaction with Food-Related Life Scale. Parents answered a measure of WtoFE based on the Work−Home Interaction Survey. Analyses were conducted using the Actor−Partner Interdependence Model and structural equation modelling. Results showed a positive association between WtoFE and SWFoL, directly (p < 0.001) and through monitoring in fathers (95% confidence interval [0.010, 0.097], actor effect). The father’s (p = 0.042) and mother’s (p = 0.006) WtoFE was positively associated with their adolescent’s SWFoL (partner effects). The father’s (p = 0.002) and mother’s (p = 0.036) WtoFE were positively associated with their own monitoring (actor effect), while only the father’s WtoFE (p = 0.014) was positively associated with the adolescent’s perception of their parents’ monitoring (partner effect). The father’s (p = 0.018) and mother’s (p = 0.003) monitoring, as well as the adolescents’ perception of their parents’ monitoring (p = 0.033), were positively associated with their own SWFoL (actor effects), while the mother’s monitoring (p = 0.043) was also associated with the father’s SWFoL (partner effects). Findings suggest that both parents’ WtoFE improved their monitoring practices, which, in turn, improved their own SWFoL and their adolescent child’s SWFoL. Policymakers and organizations must aim to promote the WtoFE of working parents.

The diverging patterns of life satisfaction between families: A latent profile analysis in dual-earner parents with adolescents

This study identifies family profiles based on the level of life satisfaction (LS) in mothers, fathers and adolescents, and variables related to their family, food, and work life. The sample was composed of 303 families of dual-earner parents (mothers’ mean age = 40.9 years, SD = 7.4, fathers’ mean age = 43.2 years, SD = 7.2) and one of their children aged between 10 and 17 years (mean age 13.3, SD = 2.4, 51.5% female). A Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was used to identify five family profiles. Profiles differed in LS, satisfaction with family life (SWFaL), satisfaction with food-related life (SWFoL), family functioning, both parents’ work-life balance and their perception of the financial situation of the household. Balanced and imbalanced families in terms of LS differed in the three family members’ LS and SWFaL, mothers’ and children’ SWFoL and family functioning, and both parents’ perception of financial situation. These results contribute to understanding the heterogeneity of life satisfaction dynamics between and within dual-earner families.

Job satisfaction as a mediator between family-to-work conflict and satisfaction with family life: a dyadic analysis in dual-earner parents

Family-to-work conflict has received less attention in the literature compared to work-to-family conflict. This gap in knowledge is more pronounced during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the documented increase in family responsibilities in detriment of work performance, particularly for women. Job satisfaction has been identified as a mediator between the family and work domains for the individual, but these family-to-work dynamics remain unexplored at a dyadic level during the pandemic. Therefore, this study tested the relationship between family-to-work conflict and job and family satisfaction, and the mediating role of job satisfaction between family-to-work conflict and family satisfaction, in dual-earner parents. A non-probability sample of 430 dual-earner parents with adolescent children were recruited in Rancagua, Chile. Mothers and fathers answered an online questionnaire with a measure of family-to-work conflict, the Job Satisfaction Scale and Satisfaction with Family Life Scale. Data was analysed using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model with structural equation modelling. Results showed that, for individuals, a higher family-to-work conflict is linked to lower satisfaction with both their job and family life, and these two types of satisfaction are positively associated with one another. Both parents experience a double negative effect on their family life satisfaction, due to their own, and to their partner's family-to-work conflict; however, for fathers, this effect from their partner occurs via their own job satisfaction. Limitations and implications of this study are discussed, indicating the need of family-oriented workplace policies with a gender perspective to increase satisfaction in the family domain for workers and their families.

Effects of work-to-family enrichment on psychological distress and family satisfaction: A dyadic analysis in dual-earner parents

Resources that individuals acquire at work can have significant effects on their own well-being and family satisfaction, and on those of their closest family relations. Following the conservation of resources theory, this study examined the effects of work-to-family enrichment (WFE) on psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress) and family satisfaction (SWFaL) in different-gender dual-earner parents. The sample consisted of 473 couples - mother and father - from Temuco, Chile, who answered the Work-Family Interface scale, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, and the Satisfaction with Family Scale. The analysis was conducted using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM). Results showed that WFE was positively associated with SWFaL for both mothers and fathers (actor effects), whereas higher WFE was linked to lower psychological distress only in fathers. For mothers and fathers, psychological distress was negatively associated with their own (actor effects) and the other parent's SWFAL (partner effects). The mediating role of psychological distress was found only for fathers' WFE and their SWFaL. These results indicate that resources from work can increase family satisfaction for both fathers and mothers in dual-earner couples with adolescent children. However, in these couples, fathers acquire affective resources (positive mood) that reduce their own psychological distress, while mothers acquire skills (managing time at home more efficiently) that they invest directly in the family domain.

Relationships between diet quality, food satisfaction and life satisfaction in mother-adolescent dyads

This study examined the relationships between diet quality, satisfaction with food-related life and life satisfaction in mother-adolescent dyads. The sample consisted of 470 mother-adolescent dyads in Temuco, Chile. Mothers and adolescents responded to the Adapted Healthy Eating Index, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Satisfaction with Food-related Life scale. Data was analyzed using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Diet quality was associated with satisfaction with food-related life, which related to life satisfaction in mothers and adolescents. We did not find direct relationships between diet quality and life satisfaction for either dyad member. Adolescents' diet quality negatively affected their mothers' satisfaction with food-related life; adolescents' food-related life was positively associated with their mothers' life satisfaction. The mothers' satisfaction with food-related life played a mediating role between their own diet quality and life satisfaction. Mothers and their adolescent children affect one another in their dietary patterns and life satisfaction. Child-to-mother influences on food-related experiences show that adolescents' satisfaction with food-related life improves their own and their mothers' life satisfaction. Interventions to promote healthy eating habits must be addressed to both mothers and their adolescent children.

Parents' Modeling During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Influences on Family Members' Diet Quality and Satisfaction With-Food-Related Life in Dual-Earner Parents With Adolescent Children

Reciprocal family influences in the food domain have been little explored, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. To fill in this gap, this study explored actor and partner effects between parents' food modeling and parents' and their adolescent children's diet quality and satisfaction with food-related life (SWFoL); and the mediating role of diet quality between modeling and SWFoL. This study used a cross-sectional design. A sample of 430 different-sex dual-earner parents and one adolescent child were recruited in Rancagua, Chile, between March and June 2020. Parents answered the modeling dimension of the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire. Parents and adolescents answered the Adapted Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) and the SWFoL Scale. Analyses were conducted using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model and structural equation modeling. Results showed that one parent's modeling enhanced diet quality for themselves, their partner, and the adolescents. Parents' modeling was associated with their own SWFoL, directly and via their own diet quality. There were positive associations between mothers' modeling and adolescents' SWFoL; between mothers' diet quality and fathers' SWFoL; and between mothers' modeling and fathers' SWFoL via the fathers' diet quality. Parents' modeling can improve the three family members' diet quality, while mothers' modeling and diet quality showed to improve fathers' and adolescents' SWFoL.

Family-to-work enrichment associations between family meal atmosphere and job satisfaction in dual-earner parents

Research on factors related to job satisfaction in parents has mainly focused on work-related variables, paying less attention to family events that may provide parents with resources to invest in the work domain. To contribute to this body of knowledge, this study examined the associations between family meal atmosphere and job satisfaction in dual-earner parents with adolescent children, and tested the mediating role of family-to-work enrichment (FtoWE) between family meal atmosphere and job satisfaction. Questionnaires were administered to 473 different-gender dual-earner parents in Temuco, Chile. Participants answered the Project-EAT Atmosphere of family meals scale, three items that measure FWE from the Work-Home Interaction Survey, and the Overall Job Satisfaction Scale. Analyses were conducted using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model and structural equation modelling. A positive association was found from family meal atmosphere to job satisfaction, directly and via FtoWE in fathers, and only via FtoWE in mothers. No associations were found for these variables between parents, as, one parent's perception of a pleasant family meal atmosphere is positively associated with their own FtoWE and job satisfaction, but not with those of the other parent. These findings suggest policymakers and organizations to account for workers' experiences in the family domain to improve satisfaction in the work domain.

Relationships Between Work-to-Family Conflict and the Food Domain for Dual-Earner Parents With Adolescent Children

The impact of work-to-family conflict (WtoFC) can extend beyond family and work, and to other domains that contribute to well-being, such as the food domain. This study examined associations between WtoFC, perception of atmosphere of family meals (AFM), and satisfaction with food-related life (SWFoL) in dual-earner parents with adolescent children, and tested the mediating role of AFM between WtoFC and SWFoL. Questionnaires were administered to 473 different-sex dual-earner parents and one of their adolescent children (mean age 12.5 years, 51.4% male) in Temuco, Chile. Parents responded to a measure of work-to-family conflict; the three family members answered the Project-EAT Atmosphere of family meals scale, and the Satisfaction with Food-related Life Scale. Analyses were conducted using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model and structural equation modeling. Results showed a negative association from WtoFC to SWFoL in both parents, while a more positive perception of atmosphere of family meals was linked to higher SWFoL in the three family members. Moreover, WtoFC was negatively linked to SWFoL in parents, while only mothers' WtoFC had a negative association with their adolescent children's SWFoL. Policymakers and organizations can contribute to workers' and their families' food-related well-being by fostering policies and measures to reduce WtoFC.

Diet quality during the COVID-19 pandemic: Effects of workplace support for families and work-to-family enrichment in dual-earner parents with adolescent children

Organizational support goes beyond the work domain, supporting workers' family role and thus generating resources that lead to work-to-family enrichment. Workers may invest these resources in improving their, and their family's, diet quality. However, data on the link between work resources, enrichment and diet quality during the COVID-19 pandemic is still emerging. The present study contributes to this literature by exploring the actor and partner effects between perceived workplace support for families, work-to-family enrichment, and diet quality in different-sex dual-earner parents with adolescent children; the potential mediating role of work-to-family enrichment between perceived workplace support for families and diet quality was also explored. A sample of 430 different-sex dual-earner parents and one of their adolescent children (mean age 13.0 years, 53.7% female) were recruited in Rancagua, Chile, during March and June 2020. Mothers and fathers responded to a measure of work-to-family enrichment, and a measure of Perceived Workplace Support for Families. The three family members answered the Adapted Healthy Eating Index. Analyses were conducted using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model and structural equation modelling. Results showed that fathers' perceived workplace support for families positively and directly affected their own diet quality (actor effect) as well as the mothers' diet quality (partner effect), while indirectly positively affected the adolescents' diet quality via work-to-family enrichment (partner effect). Mothers' perceived workplace support for families enhanced their own work-to-family enrichment, which in turn improved their diet quality (actor effects). These results suggest that resources that both parents acquire through family-friendly workplace policies have positive effects on the three family members' diet quality by different mechanisms. Policymakers and organizations must aim to promote family-friendly workplace policies, particularly during ongoing crisis such as a pandemic.

Domain Satisfaction and Overall Life Satisfaction: Testing the Spillover-Crossover Model in Chilean Dual-Earner Couples

The aim of this study was to examine spillover and crossover effects between job satisfaction, satisfaction with family life (SWFaL), satisfaction with food-related life (SWFoL) and overall life satisfaction (LS) in dual-earner couples. The gender of the couple members was also accounted for in these interrelationships. A sample of 473 dual-earner couples with adolescent children in Temuco, Chile, responded to a questionnaire. Both members of the couple answered the Satisfaction with Life Scale, Overall Job Satisfaction Scale, the Satisfaction with Family Life Scale and the Satisfaction with Food-related Life Scale. Using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model and structural equation modeling, it was found that men's LS was positively associated with their own job satisfaction, SWFaL and SWFoL (spillover), as well as with their partner's SWFaL (crossover). Results also showed that women's LS was positively associated with their own job satisfaction, SWFaL and SWFoL (spillover), as well as with their partner's SWFaL and job satisfaction. Different gender patterns were found for job satisfaction and SWFoL. These findings suggest that for dual-earner couples, life satisfaction may not only be influenced by their own individual satisfaction in a life domain but also by their partner's satisfaction in the same domain.

Review of Online Food Delivery Platforms and their Impacts on Sustainability

During the global 2020 COVID-19 outbreak, the advantages of online food delivery (FD) were obvious, as it facilitated consumer access to prepared meals and enabled food providers to keep operating. However, online FD is not without its critics, with reports of consumer and restaurant boycotts. It is, therefore, time to take stock and consider the broader impacts of online FD, and what they mean for the stakeholders involved. Using the three pillars of sustainability as a lens through which to consider the impacts, this review presents the most up-to-date research in this field, revealing a raft of positive and negative impacts. From an economic standpoint, while online FD provides job and sale opportunities, it has been criticized for the high commission it charges restaurants and questionable working conditions for delivery people. From a social perspective, online FD affects the relationship between consumers and their food, as well as influencing public health outcomes and traffic systems. Environmental impacts include the significant generation of waste and its high carbon footprints. Moving forward, stakeholders must consider how best to mitigate the negative and promote the positive impacts of online FD to ensure that it is sustainable in every sense.

Satisfaction with food-related life and life satisfaction: a triadic analysis in dual-earner families

This study explored the spillover and crossover associations between satisfaction with food-related life and life satisfaction in mothers, fathers and adolescent children in dual-earned families. This is a cross-sectional design study with mothers, fathers and children surveyed in Temuco, Chile. The participants were 303 dual-earner parents and their adolescent children (mean age 13.3 years, 51.5% female). Actor-partner Interdependence Model (APIM) and structural equation modeling were used to explore spillover (actor effect) and crossover (partner effect) associations among family members. As a result, fathers’ satisfaction with food-related life was positively associated with their own life satisfaction (p ≤ 0.01), as well as with their partner’s (mother’s) satisfaction with life (p ≤ 0.05), but not with their adolescent child’s life satisfaction (p > 0.1). Mothers and children presented positive spillovers between their own levels of satisfaction with food-related life and life satisfaction (p ≤ 0.01). No crossover effects were found between mothers and children (p > 0.1). This study results underscore the positive association between satisfaction with food-related life and life satisfaction among members of dual-earner families with adolescent children. Special efforts should be made by dual-earner parents to improve the variables related to their satisfaction with food-related life as well as their children’s satisfaction.