Constraints upon food provisioning practices in ‘busy’ women's lives: Trade-offs which demand convenience

"We know what we should be eating, but we don't always do that." How and why people eat the way they do: a qualitative study with rural australians

BACKGROUND

There is evidence that most people are aware of the importance of healthy eating and have a broad understanding regarding types of food that enhance or detract from health. However, greater health literacy does not always result in healthier eating. Andreasen's Social Marketing Model and Community-Based Social Marketing both posit that, in order to change health behaviours, it is crucial to understand reasons for current behaviours and perceived barriers and benefits to improved behaviours. Limited research has been conducted, however, that explores these issues with general populations. This study aimed to help address this gap in the evidence using a qualitative methodology.

METHODS

Three group discussions were conducted with a total of 23 participants: (1) young women aged 18-24 with no children; (2) women aged 35-45 with primary school aged children; and (3) men aged 35-50 living with a partner and with pre- or primary school aged children. The discussions took place in a regional centre of Victoria, Australia. Transcriptions were thematically analysed using an inductive descriptive approach and with reference to a recent integrated framework of food choice that identified five key interrelated determinants: food- internal factors; food- external factors; personal-state factors; cognitive factors; and sociocultural factors.

RESULTS

We found that food choice was complex, with all five determinants evident from the discussions. However, the "Social environment" sub-category of "Food-external factors", which included family, work, and social structures, and expectations (or perceived expectations) of family members, colleagues, friends, and others, was particularly prominent. Knowledge that one should practice healthy eating, which falls under the "Cognitive factor" category, while seen as an aspiration by most participants, was often viewed as unrealistic, trumped by the need and/or desire for convenience, a combination of Food-external factor: Social environment and Personal-state factor: Psychological components.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that decisions regarding what, when, and how much to eat are seen as heavily influenced by factors outside the control of the individual. It appears, therefore, that a key to improving people's eating behaviours is to make it easy to eat more healthfully, or at least not much harder than eating poorly.

Could commercial meal kits be part of the solution to food insecurity during pregnancy? An Australian exploratory study

AIM

To explore the nutritional content of meal kits from two main Australian companies over a 6-week period against healthy eating guidelines for pregnancy.

METHOD

Across the 6-week period, weekly meal kits from both Provider 1 and Provider 2 were purchased, 36 individual meals were assessed. All data were analysed for the development of a macronutrient and micronutrient profile of meals. Extracted data were macronutrient, vitamin, and mineral composition, which were compared against the healthy eating guidelines for pregnant women in Australia and New Zealand.

RESULTS

Meal kits include higher levels of sodium, and lower levels of dietary fibre, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, grains, and dairy when compared against the guidelines for healthy eating for pregnant women in Australia and New Zealand.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Meal kits may increase meals prepared and consumed in the home, and thanks to the clear instructions and pre-portioned ingredients, may reduce stress related to food preparation. They have the potential to provide nutritionally adequate meals to pregnant women as a way to mitigate food insecurity or hunger during pregnancy and may provide some nutritional benefits and have the potential to remove some of the challenges with maintaining an adequate diet when pregnant.

Associations Between Household Frequency of Cooking Dinner and Ultraprocessed Food Consumption and Dietary Quality Among US Children and Adolescents

Introduction: Dietary quality is poor and intake of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) is high among children and adolescents in the United States. Low dietary quality and high UPF intake are associated with obesity and higher risk of diet-related chronic diseases. It is unknown whether household cooking behavior is related to improved dietary quality and lower consumption of UPFs among US children and adolescents. Methods: Nationally representative data from the 2007-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n = 6032 children and adolescents ≤19 years of age) were used to examine the relationships between household cooking frequency of evening meals and children's dietary quality and UPF intake using multivariate linear regression models adjusted for sociodemographics. Two 24-hour diet recalls were used to assess UPF intake and dietary quality [Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015)]. Food items were categorized according to Nova classification to obtain the UPF percent of total energy intake. Results: A higher household frequency of cooking dinner was associated with lower UPF intake and higher overall dietary quality. Compared to children in households cooking dinner 0-2 times per week, children in households cooking dinner 7 times/week had lower intake of UPFs [β = -6.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) -8.81 to -3.78, p < 0.001] and marginally higher HEI-2015 scores (β = 1.92, 95% CI -0.04 to 3.87, p = 0.054). The trends toward lower UPF intake (p-trend <0.001) and higher HEI-2015 scores (p-trend = 0.001) with increasing cooking frequency were significant. Conclusions: In this nationally representative sample of children and adolescents, more frequent cooking at home was associated with lower intake of UPFs and higher HEI-2015 scores.

What's in a commercial meal kit? Structured review of Australian meal kits

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this project is to review the products and recipes contained within popular subscription meal kits to determine if they are suitable for wider use among people who are food insecure.

DESIGN

Across the 6-week period, weekly meal kits from both HelloFresh and Markey Spoon were purchased, resulting in thirty-six individual meals that were prepared and assessed. Meals were assessed based on the content included in the meal kit compared with the recipe card and the nutrition panel, the costs of the individual foods if purchased at one of two major supermarkets and the ease of preparation.

SETTING

Australia.

PARTICIPANTS

Households were comprised of two, 2-person households who were provided with 2 meals each week, and two, single-person households who were provided with one meal each week.

RESULTS

The findings of this research suggest that while the meal kits are convenient and, in general, the recipes are easy to follow, and the meals would be made again, the high levels of salt and fat may preclude these kits from regular inclusion in a healthy diet. The meal kits were also found to be more costly than the same ingredients if purchased from a major supermarket. However, the convenience of having most of the foods needed to prepare a full meal with little to no wastage may counterbalance this cost.

CONCLUSIONS

Meal kits may be a useful component of a healthy diet, that can increase meals prepared and consumed in the home, and thanks to the clear instructions and pre-portioned ingredients, may reduce stress related to food preparation.

Parenthood as a Window of Opportunity for Dietary Changes: Perspectives From Uruguayan Parents

Research on behavioral and social science has demonstrated that transitions throughout a person's life course, as the life event of becoming a parent, represent an opportunity for dietary changes. However, research in this area has been mostly restricted to developed European and North American countries and has shown ambiguous results. The present work aimed to gain an in-depth understanding on the changes in eating habits caused by the transition to parenthood and to explore factors influencing those changes in Uruguay, a Latin American country. Forty-two in-depth interviews with Uruguayan parents from diverse social-economic backgrounds were conducted. The narrations by the interviewees evidenced mostly positive changes during three stages in the transition: pregnancy, the first months with the baby, and the beginning of complementary feeding. Most informants perceived changes mainly in terms of increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, and pulses; increased consumption of homemade meals; and decreased consumption of ultra-processed foods, fast foods, and fried foods. Reasons for these changes included adaptation of meals to the child's needs and schedule, feeling of responsibility for the child's health, and willingness to be a good role model. Factors influencing changes in eating habits were identified in some levels of the socioecological model and included socioeconomic status; price of fruits, vegetables, and fish; low accessibility of good quality fish; perceived time pressure; father's low interest on healthy eating; social support; and access to nutrition information. Findings suggest that parenthood represents a window of opportunity for favorable changes in eating habits. However, barriers constraining those changes should be addressed by stakeholders.

Food-based nutrition counselling and education intervention for improved diets of pregnant women in rural Malawi: a qualitative study of factors influencing dietary behaviour change

OBJECTIVE

We wanted to identify factors related to dietary behavioural change among impoverished pregnant women in the face of nutrition education and counselling, describing what creates an enabling environment and barriers for dietary change.

DESIGN

We used qualitative data from a cluster-randomised maternal education trial and conducted a thematic analysis using a social ecological framework to describe the factors that influenced dietary adherence.

SETTING

Mangochi district in rural Malawi.

PARTICIPANTS

We interviewed ten pregnant women and conducted four sets of focus group discussions with twenty-two significant family members (husbands and mothers-in-law) and twelve counsellors.

RESULTS

The participants' experiences showed that the main barriers of adherence to the intervention were taste, affordability and poverty. The use of powders and one-pot dishes, inclusion of both women and significant family members and a harmonisation with local food practices enabled adherence to the intervention. We found it crucial to focus the dietary education and counselling intervention on locally available ingredients and food processing methods.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of contextualised food-based solutions to combat maternal malnutrition was observed to be relatively cheap and sustainable. However, there is need for more research on local foods used as nutrition supplements. We suggest that investments need to be directed not only to nutrition education and counselling but also to the enabling factors that enhance adherence. The original cluster-randomised controlled trial was registered with Clinical trials.gov ID: NCT03136393.

The Family Meal Framework: A grounded theory study conceptualising the work that underpins the family meal

The family meal has been recognised as an integral part of family life. With the positive health outcomes associated with the family meal, it has been proposed as a strategy for encouraging health-promoting behaviours. However, a detailed understanding of the physical and mental work required to execute the family meal is lacking. The aim of this research was to conduct a grounded theory study to understand the components required to successfully execute the family meal. Two temporal data sets (1993-4/2020) in which diverse participants were sampled were used for this study. Methods used to conduct qualitative interviews with parents in the 1990s were mirrored in the conduct of qualitative interviews with parents in 2020. The interview data was analysed drawing on grounded theory methodology and methods. The entire sample included 54 parents from 28 families. A conceptual framework, 'The Family Meal Framework', was developed from the analyses. The five main components of The Framework are the cognitions (invisible work considering the needs of the family), actions (physical tasks required for the family meal), outcomes (the event of the family meal), the beliefs and feelings (expectations and attitudes toward the family meal), and the person(s) responsible (who undertakes the work). This framework provides a novel theory describing the reactive, cyclical nature of the work required to execute the family meal. This new understanding provides discrete opportunities for intervention in family meal research, practice, policy and promotion.

Are there any key factors that encourage food delivery applications use during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand and the role of HRM?

BACKGROUND: Recently, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, customer sentiment has evolved as the new “normal” for food consumption—as it affects customer behavioral change, including the way customers eat. Therefore, understanding customer demands and needs will help food delivery aggregators and retailers produce sustainable, competitive advantage and drive profitability. OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to investigate the determinant factors of Thai consumers’ intention to use on-demand food delivery applications. METHODS: Convenient random sampling was used to gather data from 250 participants who have used food delivery applications in Thailand and Amos version 23 to test model validity and the hypotheses. RESULTS: The results show that satisfaction is critical for the intention to use food delivery applications. Social influence, trust, convenience, and application quality were found to play an essential role in meeting the needs of satisfaction toward the intention to use, and application quality is the most important. However, habit showed a negative relationship, and price value was found to have a nonsignificant impact on satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: Food delivery aggregators should ensure the quality of application updates and efficiency and that users have the best quality experience to maintain customer satisfaction. However, customers are also concerned about their health and safety, which has altered their purchasing behavior. Therefore, restaurant players should add a third delivery system that optimize online ordering and delivery.

Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on food habits and perceptions: A study with Brazilians

BACKGROUND

Following the COVID-19 pandemic (caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus) at the beginning of 2020, containment measures have been taken by different countries around the globe. Citizens were forced to stay in quarantine, affecting their food consumption habits and food sector. These impacts have not yet been properly understood. Thus, it is important to describe the consequences of COVID-19 on food consumption habits globally, especially in the context of developing countries, such as Brazil.

SCOPE AND APPROACH

In this study, the Brazilian's food consumption habits and perceptions during the COVID-19 pandemic were assessed, highlighting the food consumption changes and selection of food products. Consumer perceptions about issues related to food safety and food marketing were also assessed. An online survey was performed and data were analyzed by descriptive analysis; independence and per cell chi-square test; and factor analysis.

KEY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS

Brazilians perceptions indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic context (assessed in May 2020) changed their food consumption and purchase. Respondents stated that they are eating and buying a greater amount of food, indicating a perception of a less healthy diet, mainly by women. On other hand, they are prioritizing homemade preparations and fresh food. Moreover, they reduced their shopping trips to markets and are starting to use delivery services and shopping platforms. Basic products of animal, vegetable, and bakery origin are being preferred during this period, in addition to economical packaging and products. Brazilians also indicated that they are more concerned with food safety and hygienic practices. However, at a time when global health is threatened, government agencies must create measures that ensure the food supply and consumer's awareness, in order to guarantee the country's food security during the current crisis.

Early life and socio-economic determinants of dietary trajectories in infancy and early childhood - results from the HSHK birth cohort study

BACKGROUND

Early childhood is a period when dietary behaviours are established. This study aimed to examine the longitudinal intake of core and discretionary foods and identify early life and socio-economic factors influencing those intakes.

METHODS

Mother-infant dyads (n = 934) from the Healthy Smiles Healthy Kids study, an ongoing birth cohort study, were interviewed. The information on 'weekly frequency of core and discretionary foods intake' using a food frequency questionnaire was collected at 4 months, 8 months, 1 year, 2 years and 3 years age points. Group-based trajectory modelling analyses were performed to identify diet trajectories for 'core' and 'discretionary' foods respectively. A multinomial logistic regression was performed to identify the maternal and child-related predictors of resulting trajectories.

RESULTS

The intake of core and discretionary foods each showed distinct quadratic (n = 3) trajectories with age. Overall, core foods intake increased rapidly in the first year of life, followed by a decline after age two, whereas discretionary foods intake increased steadily across the five age points. Multiparity (Relative Risk (RR): 0.46, 95%CI: 0.27-0.77), non-English speaking ethnicity of mother (RR: 0.66, 95%CI: 0.47-0.91) and having a single mother (RR: 0.40, 95%CI: 0.18-0.85) were associated with low trajectories of core foods intake whereas older maternal age (RR: 1.05, 95%CI: 1.01-1.08) and longer breastfeeding duration (RR: 1.02, 95%CI: 1.00-1.03) were associated with higher trajectories of core foods intake. Also, multiparity (RR 2.63, 95%CI: 1.47-4.70), low maternal education (RR 3.01, 95%CI: 1.61-5.65), and socio-economic disadvantage (RR 2.69, 95%CI: 1.31-5.55) were associated with high trajectories of discretionary foods intake. Conversely, longer duration of breastfeeding (RR 0.99, 95%CI: 0.97-0.99), and timely introduction of complementary foods (RR 0.30, 95%CI: 0.15-0.61) had a protective effect against high discretionary foods consumption in infancy and early childhood.

CONCLUSION

Children's frequency of discretionary foods intake increases markedly as they transition from infancy to preschool age, and the trajectories of intake established during early childhood are strongly influenced by socio-demographic factors and infant feeding choices. Hence, there is a need for targeted strategies to improve nutrition in early childhood and ultimately prevent the incidence of chronic diseases in children.

Correlations between Self-Reported Cooking Confidence and Creativity and Use of Convenience Cooking Products in an Australian Cohort

BACKGROUND

Most Australians do not meet vegetable intake recommendations. Vegetables are most often consumed in evening meals. However, they often require preparation and therefore cooking skills. Convenience cooking products such as meal bases/concentrates and ready-made sauces are increasingly common and popular and may help address the barriers to vegetable consumption in terms of cost and time. These products also typically provide recipes, which include vegetables, and as such, may help address the barriers of cooking skills, confidence, and creativity. However, the relationships between the use of these products, cooking confidence, and cooking creativity remain unknown.

METHODS

Australian adults were surveyed (snowball recruitment, n = 842) on their use of convenience cooking products (meal bases/recipe concentrates, simmer sauces, marinades, and other cooking sauces), cooking confidence (7 item scale) and creativity (6 item scale), and demographic information.

RESULTS

Overall, 63.2% of participants reported using convenience cooking products. Those using these products had lower mean cooking skills confidence and creativity scores than those who did not, in all product categories assessed. Among users, those who reported "always" following the recipes provided had lower mean cooking confidence and creativity scores than those who followed the recipes less regularly. Conclusions: Therefore, improving the vegetable content of recipes provided with these products may be a tool to increase vegetable intake by users with lower cooking skills (confidence and creativity). This may complement traditional approaches such as education in improving vegetable intake.

Feeding the Australian family: challenges for mothers, nutrition and equity

Australian women shoulder the bulk of household duties including family food provisioning, despite increasing participation in the workforce. This research aimed to understand employed mothers' daily-lived experience of family food provisioning, in particular, the intersection between family food provisioning, gender inequality and nutritional guidelines as they impact women's time and health. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 employed mothers in South Australia. Participants had at least one child aged less than 13 years. Qualitative data was analysed using a thematic content approach. Time-scarcity was common and associated with stress in relation to family food provisioning; this relationship was particularly apparent among employed mothers who were also studying. Most mothers valued nutrition and strove to provide nutritious meals, although they tended to work from their own nutritional understandings, not the national nutrition guidelines; they saw the nutrition guidelines as unhelpful because of the time demands that were implied. The study invites policy makers, practitioners and researchers to consider time for family food provisioning as a social determinant of family as well as women's health, and structural strategies to address this health inequity for women.

Changes in Consumers' Food Practices during the COVID-19 Lockdown, Implications for Diet Quality and the Food System: A Cross-Continental Comparison

COVID-19 has led to dramatic societal changes. Differing movement restrictions across countries have affected changes in consumers' food practices, with a potentially detrimental impact on their health and food systems. To investigate this, this research explored changes in consumers' food practices during the initial COVID-19 phase and assessed the impact of location on these changes. A sample of 2360 adults from three continents (Island of Ireland (IOI), Great Britain (GB), United States (USA), and New Zealand (NZ)) were recruited for a cross-sectional online survey (May-June 2020). Participants completed questions in relation to their cooking and food practices, diet quality, and COVID-19 food-related practices. Significant changes in consumers' food practices during the pandemic were seen within and between regions, with fewer cooking practices changes found in the USA. Food practices, which may put added pressure on the food system, such as bulk buying, were seen across all regions. To prevent this, organisational food practices, including planning ahead, should be emphasized. Additionally, while positive cooking-related practices and increases in fruit and vegetable intake were found, an increase in saturated fat intake was also seen. With the additional pressure on individuals' physical and mental health, the essentiality of maintaining a balanced diet should be promoted.

Addressing Challenges with the Categorization of Foods Processed at Home: A Pilot Methodology to Inform Consumer-Facing Guidance

The objective of this study was to inform consumer-facing dietary guidance by (1) adapting the current University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) food processing framework to include a home processing (HP) component and (2) pilot testing the adapted version using a nationally representative sample of foods consumed in the U.S. The UNC framework was adapted to include guidelines for categorizing home-prepared (HP) foods. The original UNC and adapted HP frameworks were used to code dietary recalls from a random sample of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2015–2016 cycle) participants (n = 100; ages 2–80 years). Percent changes between the UNC and HP adapted frameworks for each processing category were calculated using Microsoft Excel, version 16.23. Participants were 56% female, 35% non-Hispanic white (mean age = 31.3 ± 23.8). There were 1,376 foods with 651 unique foods reported. Using the HP compared to the UNC framework, unprocessed/minimally processed foods declined by 11.7% (UNC: 31.0% vs. HP: 27.4%); basic processed foods increased by 116.8% (UNC: 8.2% vs. HP: 17.8%); moderately processed foods increased by 16.3% (UNC: 14.2% vs. HP: 16.6%); and highly processed foods decreased by 17.8% (UNC: 46.5% vs. HP: 38.2%). Home-prepared foods should be considered as distinct from industrially produced foods when coding dietary data by processing category. This has implications for consumer-facing dietary guidance that incorporates processing level as an indicator of diet quality.

Aiming for better use of convenience food: an analysis based on meal production functions at home

BACKGROUND

In recent years, the evaluation of convenience food has changed. It came to be considered not to have a negative effect on health and is now positioned as a tool to support dietary habits of elderly and other people. In advanced countries where the population is aging, convenience foods are expected to improve the eating habits of the elderly.

METHODS

We defined the indicators of cooking effort and usage intensity of convenience food and presented a model wherein a "meal" is home-produced. In the model, a home cook decides the optimal cooking effort to apply for a given usage intensity of convenience food. Using an empirical form of the proposed model, we performed a multiple regression analysis and calculated "the elasticity of cooking effort with respect to the usage intensity of convenience food" for home cooks, with each attribute defined by a combination of different personality and demographic factors, using the estimated coefficients.

RESULTS

Regression analysis results revealed a negative correlation between cooking effort and the usage intensity of convenience food, which is consistent with our theoretical model of home meal production. The results showed that home cooks who have special food preferences may not be satisfied with accepting convenience foods purchased from the market as they are and that these home cooks will require a higher cooking effort to obtain higher satisfaction. The elasticity of elderly home cooks was low, implying that they are not flexible enough to accept convenience food.

CONCLUSIONS

The results revealed that existing convenience foods do not have the same impact on home cooks with attributes. This problem can be solved with smart food systems that utilize information and communication technology, which allow home cooks to explore information on convenience foods that match their preferences and enable food providers to offer food that matches the specific tastes of home cooks. The regression results suggest this possibility.

Meat, Masculinity, and Health for the "Typical Aussie Bloke": A Social Constructivist Analysis of Class, Gender, and Consumption

Food choice is complex and influenced by a range of social, environmental, structural, and individual factors. Poor diet is one of the major contributors to the burden of disease, in particular for men who habitually have lower intakes of fruits and vegetables and higher intakes of meat. Food choice has been linked to the expression of masculine identities. This research used a Bourdieusian framework to explore the influential drivers of young Australian men's eating habits based on occupational groupings. Twenty men aged 19-30 years participated in in-depth semistructured interviews. Analysis used a grounded theory, social constructivist approach and identified five themes: performative masculinities and meat; meat cuts across social class; the influence of masculine autonomy on dietary choice; women protecting Australian men's health; and the role of environmental and structural barriers. These results indicated that habitus remains a useful conceptual framework to explain the results, and cultural capital is reinforced as a phenomenon. Occupation and gender appear to no longer be primary drivers of food choice in this group of men. Rather there is a shift toward an understanding of multiple masculinities and the development of microcultures with interactions between structure and agency. Meat still features in the food world of Australian men, but there are shifts to deprioritize its importance. There needs to be a more nuanced understanding of the importance of autonomy and control as well as the role of women in relation to men's dietary intakes and how this can be harnessed for positive dietary change.

Feeding Infants and Toddlers: A Qualitative Study to Determine Parental Education Needs

Background: Limited evidence-based guidance is available to parents regarding optimal child feeding practices to prevent early childhood obesity from birth to 24 months of age (B-24). The objective of this qualitative study was to determine current child feeding practices, barriers to implementation, and educational needs of parents of varying socioeconomic backgrounds as it relates to responsive feeding to prevent early obesity in children of ages B-24. Methods: One-on-one interviews were conducted with parents (n = 66) of children ages B-24 from both low-and non-low-income households. Interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed with NVivo using classical qualitative analysis. Results: Participants were primarily female (91%), married (53%), low-income (59%), and were not first-time parents (72%). The results revealed overarching themes, including parents' reported need for information on preparing child meals, optimal dietary intake, affordable healthy foods, promoting child self-feeding, and food and nutrition knowledge. Low-income parents more frequently requested guidance about identifying affordable healthy options and overfeeding while non-low-income parents requested information about food allergens, transitioning to solids, and creating structured mealtimes. Conclusions: Additional and focused outreach to parents of children ages B-24 regarding optimal feeding practices is needed especially on topics related to complementary feeding during the transition to solid food.

Association between hours worked in paid employment and diet quality, frequency of eating out and consuming takeaways in the UK

OBJECTIVE

To examine associations between hours worked and diet quality, frequency of eating out and consuming takeaways.

DESIGN

Data were taken from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2008-2014). Associations between hours worked in paid employment and diet quality, assessed using the Diet Quality Index (DQI) and selected foods and nutrients, were tested using linear regression models. Associations between hours worked and frequency of eating out and consuming takeaways were tested using ordinal logistic regression models. All models were adjusted for sex, age, equivalised household income, household composition and household food role.

SETTING

UK.

PARTICIPANTS

Adults (n 2154) aged 19-64 years in employment.

RESULTS

Mean (95 % CI) hours worked per week was 36·1 (35·6, 36·6) and mean DQI score was 41·9 (41·2, 42·5) %. Hours worked was not associated with DQI score, frequency of eating out or consuming takeaways. Hours worked was positively associated with consuming red meat, processed meat and alcohol intake. Adults working more hours had lower intake of fibre but higher total fat and saturated fat intakes if they lived in households with children.

CONCLUSIONS

Working hours may not be the main factor driving poor-quality diets among this sample of UK adults in employment. Focusing on consumption of foods prepared outside the household may not be the most efficient way to improve diet quality as effort is needed at all levels. Although it is unclear what is driving the differences in nutrient intakes according to household composition, they are important to consider when developing interventions to improve healthy eating.

[Food habitus: practices among migrant farm workers in a community of Sonora, Mexico]

The objective is to analyze the food habitus and the changes in eating practices of pendulum and settled migrant agricultural workers in the city of Miguel Aleman in the state of Sonora. Based on an ethnographic approach, 21 in-depth interviews were conducted with both types of migrants from January 2016 to January 2018. We found that in these migrants, the consumption of industrialized products such as flours and sugars has increased, leading to malnutrition mainly in pendulum migrants and chronic diseases such as diabetes in settled migrants. We conclude that the food habitus is adjusted to the physical and economic availability of food and the logic of agricultural work, with eating structured as a practice of necessity. This reality materially and symbolically reproduces the subordinate position of agricultural workers in the face of the globalized economic and food production models, in which eating practices are debilitated by the difficulties of access to food.

Sociocultural aspects of takeaway food consumption in a low-socioeconomic ward in Manchester: a grounded theory study

OBJECTIVES

Takeaway foods form a growing proportion of the UK diet. This consumption is linked with poor health outcomes due to their adverse nutritional profile. However, there is little research regarding the sociocultural context surrounding the consumption of takeaway meals. This research aimed to explore the sociocultural factors that influence the consumption of takeaway foods.

DESIGN

The study employed constructivist grounded theory (GT) methodology. Data were collected using one-to-one semi-structured interviews from an inner-city area of Manchester (Rusholme). Data sorting and analysis was implemented using the GT constant comparative method.

SETTING

Rusholme, Manchester, UK.

PARTICIPANTS

Adult participants (aged 18 to 65 years) consuming takeaway meals at least once/month were recruited using social media and community settings.

RESULTS

13 participants were interviewed (female 69%, mean age=38 years). Three superordinate themes were derived from data: social factors, personal factors and resources. Social Factors included the influence of routines and traditions, influential others and a sense of community in the bonding and affirming of relationships. Personal Factors explored the subordinate themes of controlling damage and values relating to food choice. The third theme 'Resources' included time, availability, cost and quality.

CONCLUSION

This study shows the sociocultural influences on food choice decisions are complex and may go beyond access and availability. Any policy change to limit takeaway consumption should acknowledge these vital processes in food choice to inform targeted effective approaches.

Eating practices among low-income overweight /obese Brazilian mothers: a Bourdieusian approach

We investigated the eating practices of socially vulnerable overweight and obese Brazilian mothers, exploring the relationships between eating practices, capitals, fields and excess-weight. We conducted a qualitative study involving in-depth interviews of 21 women living in three vulnerable urban regions. Content analyses were performed and codes were used to locate actors in relation to each other in terms of 'capitals' and 'fields', forming a typology based on Bourdieu's theory with five groups. Socioeconomic conditions during childhood and liking to cook were the main characteristics related to each group's distinct eating practices. While socioeconomic conditions during childhood were related to region of origin and food tastes, liking to cook worked as a type of cultural capital, called culinary capital, which produced pleasure and status. For each pattern of eating practices, different factors seemed to contribute to participants' excess weight, including liked foods, enjoying cooking, and financial constraints. One group combined a highly vulnerable economic situation and health problems, shedding light onto a habitus that demands special attention from public health studies and interventions. This study illustrates the complexity of practices within a seemingly homogeneous group and reinforces that health studies should not assume homogeneity within a group of overweight/obese low-income women.

Association of parental investment of time and cost in food provisioning with adherence to dietary guidelines for the consumption of fruits, vegetables and non-core foods in pre-schoolers

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether parent-reported time and cost for provision of food is associated with consumption of fruits, vegetables and non-core foods in pre-schoolers.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the Healthy Habits randomised controlled trial. Two subscales of the Children's Dietary Questionnaire (CDQ) were used to assess fruit and vegetable, and non-core food consumption.

SETTING

Thirty pre-schools in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia.

SUBJECTS

Parents (n 396) with a child aged 3-5 years attending a participating pre-school were recruited. Parents needed to reside with that child for at least four days per week and have primary responsibility for providing meals and snacks to their child.

RESULTS

Sixty-three per cent of children had a parent-reported subscale score indicating adherence to dietary guidelines for fruit and vegetable intake, while 64% of children had a subscale score indicating they were exceeding dietary guidelines for non-core foods. Regression models revealed significant positive associations between higher CDQ scores for non-core foods (indicating higher consumption levels) and minutes that parents spent preparing food (P=0·032 and 0·025) and amount spent on purchasing food (P=0·043 and 0·020). The magnitude of the effects was small (estimate=0·003 and 0·001).

CONCLUSIONS

Time and cost spent by parents on provision of food was not significantly associated with child fruit and vegetable consumption. Further explorations into time spent on food preparation and cost of food procurement are warranted to help address the increased consumption of non-core foods by pre-school children.

International migration and dietary change in Mexican women from a social practice framework

Migration from lower- and middle-income to high-income countries is associated with dietary change, and especially with the adoption of a modern, less healthy diet. In this article we analyze the dietary changes experienced by Mexican migrants, employing as a theoretical framework the concept of social practice. According to this framework, practices integrate material elements, meanings and competences that provide their conditions of possibility. Practices are shared by members of social groups, and interact with other competing or reinforcing practices. Between 2014 and 2015, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 27 women, international return migrants living in Tijuana, Mexico. The interview guide asked about history of migration and dietary change. We found three main areas of dietary change: from subsistence farming to ready meals, abundance vs. restriction, and adoption of new food items. The first one was associated with changes in food procurement and female work: when moving from rural to urban areas, participants substituted self-produced for purchased food; and as migrant women joined the labor force, consumption of ready meals increased. The second was the result of changes in income: participants of lower socioeconomic position modified the logic of food acquisition from restriction to abundance and back, depending on the available resources. The third change was relatively minor, with occasional consumption of new dishes or food items, and was associated with exposure to different cuisines and with learning how to cook them. Public health efforts to improve the migrants' diets should take into account the constitutive elements of dietary practices, instead of isolating individuals from their social contexts.

Factors Associated with Home Meal Preparation and Fast-Food Sources Use among Low-Income Urban African American Adults

This study aimed to assess the factors associated with home meal preparation (HMP) and fast-food sources use (FFS) frequencies of low-income African-American adults and their healthy food beliefs and attitudes, food-related psychosocial factors, food acquisition patterns, food sources use, and BMI. We used cross-sectional data from 295 adults living in Baltimore, USA. HMP was inversely associated with FFS, which had lower odds of HMP ≥1 time/day and higher BMI scores. HMP was positively associated with positive beliefs and self-efficacy toward healthy foods, getting food from healthier food sources, and lower FFS. Higher odds of HMP ≥1 time/day were associated with getting food from farmers' market and supermarkets or grocery stores. FFS had an inverse association with positive beliefs and self-efficacy toward healthy foods, and a positive association with less healthy food acquisition scores. Higher odds of FFS ≥1 time/week were associated with getting food from corner stores, sit-down restaurants, and convenience stores.

"Moving Toward Healthy": Insights Into Food Choices of Mothers in Residential Recovery

This study utilized participatory and potentially empowering qualitative research methods of photo-elicitation and face-to-face interviews to investigate food choices of mothers living with their children in a residential substance use disorder recovery program. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with nine women (25–40 years) living in a residential substance use disorder recovery program in the Southeastern United States. Each audio recorded and transcribed interview was coded individually before collectively developing a consensual version of the codebook and identifying themes. The recovering women in this study expressed a new or renewed desire to “eat healthy” and voiced concerns about the nutritional value of foods. Food choices were influenced by their children’s nutritional needs and food preferences, their own food preferences and habits, the financial resources available to them, their personal food preparation self-efficacy and skills, and the limitations inherent in residential recovery. Understanding food choices benefits both recovering parents and their children.

Reasons Parents Buy Prepackaged, Processed Meals: It Is More Complicated Than "I Don't Have Time"

OBJECTIVE

To investigate reasons why parents purchase prepackaged, processed meals and associations with parental cooking self-efficacy, meal-planning ability, and home food availability.

METHODS

This secondary data analysis uses Healthy Home Offerings via the Mealtime Environment Plus study data from parents of children aged 8-12 years (n = 160). Associations between reasons why parents purchase prepackaged, processed meals and the outcomes were assessed with chi-square, Fisher exact, and t tests.

RESULTS

The most frequently endorsed reasons for purchasing prepackaged, processed meals included lack of time (57%) and family preferences (49%). Five of 6 reasons were associated with lower parental cooking self-efficacy and meal-planning ability. Some reasons were associated with less-healthful home food environments; few reasons varied by socio-demographic characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Because lower cooking self-efficacy and meal-planning ability are associated with most reasons reported for purchasing prepackaged, processed meals, strategies to increase these attributes for parents of all backgrounds may reduce reliance on prepackaged processed meals for family mealtimes.

Comparison of motives underlying food choice and barriers to healthy eating among low medium income consumers in Uruguay

Abstract: Interventions aimed at changing dietary patterns should be designed based on the main motives underlying the food choices of specific target populations. The aim of the present study was to identify motives underlying food choice and barriers to healthy eating among consumers in two socioeconomic levels in Uruguay. Eleven focus groups were carried out with a total of 76 participants. Six of the groups involved low income participants and the others were conducted with middle income participants. Discussions were held around frequently consumed products, motives underlying food choices and barriers to healthy eating. Results confirmed the strong influence of income level on motives underlying food choice and barriers to the adoption of healthy eating. Low income participants described their choices as mainly driven by economic factors and satiety, whereas convenience was the main determinant of food selection for middle income participants. Implications for the design of public policies targeted at each group are discussed.

Dietary intake of working women with children does not appear to be influenced by hours of employment: A secondary analysis of the Australian Health Survey (2011-2013)

Women with children often fulfil multiple roles of running a household, raising a family and working outside the home. Good nutrition during this time is important to optimise their performance and prevent lifestyle diseases. Women also act as nutritional gatekeepers for their family. The dual burden of paid employment and unpaid family work may be associated with time scarcity in mothers which can impact food preparation and therefore nutritional adequacy. The aim of this study was to examine the diet of women who lived with children by comparison of hours worked.

METHODS

This was a secondary analysis of the Australian National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey 2011-12. Subjects were women aged 18-65 years who resided with ≥1 child (<18 years). Women were grouped according to hours of employment: not working; working <25 h a week; and working ≥25 hours a week. Data from two 24-h dietary recalls were used to compare differences between groups in nutrient intake and proportion of energy from discretionary foods. Covariates included were age, education, smoker status, Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), number of persons in household, week or weekend day of the survey and the sequence of recalls.

RESULTS

Analyses included 1869 women. Dietary intakes varied minimally between groups with intakes of fibre, vitamin C, and calcium lowest in the group not working. Overall diet quality was poor with >30% of energy coming from discretionary foods in all groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Usual hours of employment per week have a minimal effect on diet quality in women with children. It is likely that different factors specific to each group contribute to the poor dietary intakes and should be further investigated.

Dietary Pattern Trajectories from 6 to 12 Months of Age in a Multi-Ethnic Asian Cohort

Little is known about the dietary patterns of Asian infants in the first year of life, nor of their associations with maternal socio-demographic factors. Based on the Growing Up in Singapore towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) mother-offspring cohort, cross-sectional dietary patterns were derived by factor analysis using 24-h recalls and food diaries of infants at 6-, 9- and 12-months of age. Dietary pattern trajectories were modeled by mapping similar dietary patterns across each age using multilevel mixed models. Associations with maternal socio-demographic variables, collected through questionnaires during pregnancy, were assessed using general linear models. In n = 486 infants, four dietary pattern trajectories were established from 6- to 12-months. Predominantly breastmilk: mainly breastmilk and less formula milk,

GUIDELINES

rice porridge, vegetables, fruits and low-fat fish and meat, Easy-to-prepare foods: infant cereals, juices, cakes and biscuits and Noodles (in soup) and seafood: noodle and common accompaniments. In adjusted models, higher maternal education attainment was correlated with higher start scores on Predominantly breastmilk, but lowest education attainment increased its adherence over time. Older mothers had higher start scores on Easy-to-prepare foods, but younger mothers had increased adherence over time. Chinese mothers had higher start scores on Predominantly breastmilk but greater adherence to GUIDELINES over time, while Indian mothers had higher start scores on Easy-to-prepare foods but greater adherence to Predominantly breastmilk with time (p < 0.05 for all). Changes in trajectories over time were small. Hence, dietary patterns established during weaning are strongly influenced by maternal socio-demographic factors and remain stable over the first year of life.

"Dinner's ready!" A qualitative exploration of the food domain across the lifecourse

The influence of the childhood food domain on adult food-related practices is only partially understood. Through an interpretive study using in-depth life-story interviewing and narrative analysis, we aimed to discover how preferences and perceptions relating to the food domain become embodied during childhood, and once embodied, how these influence practices in adulthood. We observed distinct 'food mood' pathways seemingly anchored in childhood memories about dinnertime. One pathway led to food philosophies participants perceived to be beneficial for their health and wellbeing, whilst another led to perceptions of food as a chore and bore they would rather ignore. Parental attitudes were very important to the food domain of childhood, as this is now recalled through life-story narratives. Our findings suggest a positive relationship with the food domain needs to be fostered during childhood for the long-term protection and promotion of health and wellbeing in adulthood.

Convenience on the menu? A typological conceptualization of family food expenditures and food-related time patterns

One of the most fundamental, but also controversial, food trends of the past years is convenience food. This article investigates the underexplored relationship between the heterogeneity in (convenience) food consumption (a feature of a food culture's cuisine) and meal patterns (characteristics of a food culture's structure). This study hopes to illustrate that convenience food can be interpreted both as a means to maintain a food culture's structure and as a means to overturn it. Latent Class Cluster Analysis is performed using data from the HBS 2005 survey on families' food expenditures to conceptualize convenience-orientation and to examine the relationships with families' meal behaviors. Whereas outsourcing cooking is most prevalent among single-person households; two-or more-person households are most likely to buy unprocessed and natural foods and to spend most time cooking and eating in. A higher consumption of convenience food is also more likely to affect individuals' kitchen than table habits.

Persistent optimizing: how mothers make food choices for their preschool children

Mothers' ability to provide healthy food choices for their children has become more complex in our current obesogenic environment. We conducted a total of 35 interviews with 18 mothers of preschool children. Using constructivist grounded theory methods, we developed a substantive theory of how mothers make food choices for their preschoolers. Our substantive theory, persistent optimizing, consists of three main integrated conceptual categories: (a) acknowledging contextual constraints, (b) stretching boundaries, and (c) strategic positioning. Implications to improve mothers' ability to make healthy food choices that reduce their children's risk of becoming overweight or obese are discussed.

Wider impacts of a 10-week community cooking skills program--Jamie's Ministry of Food, Australia

Background

Jamie’s Ministry of Food (JMoF) Australia is a 10-week community-based cooking skills program which is primarily aimed at increasing cooking skills and confidence and the promotion of eating a more nutritious diet. However, it is likely that the program influences many pathways to behaviour change. This paper explores whether JMoF impacted on known precursors to healthy cooking and eating (such as attitudes, knowledge, beliefs, cooking enjoyment and satisfaction and food purchasing behaviour) and whether there are additional social and health benefits which arise from program participation.

Methods

A mixed method, quasi-experimental longitudinal evaluation with a wait-list control was conducted. Intervention participants were measured using repeated questionnaires at three time points; before and after the program and at six-month follow-up. Control participants completed the questionnaire 10 weeks before their program and at program commencement. Quantitative analysis used a linear mixed model approach and generalised linear models for repeated measures using all available data. Qualitative methods involved 30-minute repeated semi-structured interviews with a purposively selected sample, analysed thematically.

Results

Statistically significant differences between groups and over time were found for a reduction of take away/fast food weekly purchasing (P = 0.004), and increases in eating meals at the dinner table (P = 0.01), cooking satisfaction (P = 0.01), and the ability to prepare a meal in 30 minutes (P < 0.001) and from basics that was low in cost (P < 0.001). The qualitative findings supported the quantitative results. Repeat qualitative interviews with fifteen participants indicated increased confidence and skills gained from the program to prepare meals from scratch as well as increases in family involvement in cooking and meal times at home.

Conclusions

Jamie’s Ministry of Food, Australia resulted in improvements in participants’ food and cooking attitudes and knowledge, food purchasing behaviours and social interactions within the home environment, which were sustained six months after the program.

Trial registration

Australian and New Zealand Trial registration number: ACTRN12611001209987.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-1161) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Gender relations and couple negotiations of British men's food practice changes after prostate cancer

Nutrition plays an important role in the health of men diagnosed with prostate cancer and dietary interventions can therefore be a significant part of prostate cancer survivorship supportive care. Family food provision, however, involves complex social interactions, which shape how men engage with their diets and dietary interventions. The role that gender plays in shaping prostate cancer couples' food practices and men's diets after a prostate cancer diagnosis is thought to be important but is little understood. This study explored couples' accounts of nutrition information seeking and diet change to gain a better understanding of how gender relations shaped men's food practices after prostate cancer diagnosis. Qualitative health interviews with men and their partners were conducted and analysed using interpretive descriptive methods. Findings demonstrated how couples navigated food change journeys that involved seeking information, deciding what changes were warranted and implementing and regulating diet changes. Two overarching themes that illustrated couples' food negotiations were called 'Seeking information and deciding on food changes' and 'Monitoring food changes'. Additional sub-themes described who led food changes, women's filtering of information, and moderation or 'treats'. Throughout these food change journeys, interactions between men and women were at play, demonstrating how gender relations and dynamics acted to shape couples' food negotiations and men's food practices. Findings reveal that attention to gender relations and the men's family food dynamics should inform diet interventions for men with prostate cancer in order to improve uptake.

Characteristics of fast-food/takeaway-food and restaurant/café-food consumers among New Zealand adults

OBJECTIVE

To investigate: (i) the percentage of the New Zealand (NZ) population reporting fast food/takeaway food and restaurant/café food per day; (ii) examine demographic factors associated with their use; (iii) quantify their contribution to energy intake; and (iv) describe the specific types of foods reported from both sources.

DESIGN

Twenty-four hour diet recalls from the cross-sectional 2008/09 NZ Adult Nutrition Survey were used to identify fast-food and restaurant-food consumers.

SETTING

NZ households.

SUBJECTS

Adults aged 15 years and older (n 4721).

RESULTS

Overall 28 % reported consuming at least one fast food and 14 % a restaurant food within the 24 h diet recall. Fast-food consumption was not associated with level of education or an area-based measure of socio-economic status, but a higher education was positively associated with restaurant-food consumption. Individual factors such as ethnicity, household size, age, sex and marital status were found to be important influences on the use of fast food and restaurant food. Fast-food consumption was more prevalent among participants living in urban areas, young adults (19-30 years) and Māori compared with NZ European and Others. The most frequently reported fast foods were bread-based dishes, potatoes (including fries) and non-alcoholic beverages.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the high reported consumption of fast food by young adults, health promotion initiatives both to improve the nutritional quality of fast-food menus and to encourage healthier food choices would likely make a large impact on the overall diet quality of this group.

Trajectories of dietary change and the social context of migration: a qualitative study

The aim of this article was to explore the influence of migration on changes in dietary practices, relating these changes to the social contexts in which they occur. Numerous studies have described how migration from poor countries and regions to more developed ones leads migrants to adopt a modern diet associated to the risk of acquiring chronic diseases. However, different contexts might influence dietary change in migrants in diverse ways. For this purpose, 28 semi-structured interviews were conducted with adult, female internal migrants to a border city in Mexico. The interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results showed trajectories of dietary change to be associated to social position before and after migration. For the participants from rural areas, migration was accompanied by an increase in the consumption of processed foods, and also changes in food insecurity. Migrants who came from urban areas reported a decrease in the perceived quality of food available to them, but their eating pattern was modified only slightly. For some interviewees, migration resulted in the possibility to choose what to eat in a more autonomous way. We discuss how the effect of migration on dietary changes can be manifold, and the necessity to delve into how social context influences these changes.