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

Black and Latiné parents' perspectives on supporting their children's emotional and physical health

Informed by integrative models of cultural resilience, the purpose of this study was to (a) explore how parents are promoting their children's emotional and physical health, with a focus on race and ethnic-racial socialization strategies, and (b) identify the barriers and challenges parents are experiencing in supporting their children's health. Ethnically racially matched qualitative interviews were conducted with 33 parents (82% women, 64% Black, 36% Latiné). Results of thematic analysis revealed three overarching themes: (a) Strategies for Promoting Children's Physical and Emotional Health, (b) Challenges Promoting Children's Physical and Emotional Health, and (c) Impact of Racism on Parenting and Children's Health. Most parents believed that racism had an impact on their parenting decisions and their children's health; however, there were some differences in ethnic-racial socialization practices between Black and Latiné parents. Findings have implications for culturally relevant parenting approaches to support children's emotional and physical health.

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

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.

Family meals and food insecurity in Spanish adolescents

The world is not on track to achieve the goal of food security for the global population by 2030. New approaches to understand individuals' food insecurity are needed, especially insecurity related to children and adolescents, since it is associated with health and psychosocial problems. The study aimed to characterise the family dinners among a representative cohort of schooled adolescents (n = 1017) and their parents (n = 261) in Terrassa (Catalonia, Spain) and how family dinners could be related to household food insecurity. The survey findings revealed that in 2022, 19.2% of the adolescents were experiencing household food insecurity. Adolescents with a lower socioeconomic status and of foreign origin showed the highest likelihood of experiencing household food insecurity. Household food security was also associated with some characteristics of family dinners, such as better quality and a higher frequency (seven or more dinners eaten together per week). Based on this finding, possible ways in which family dinners could offer a beneficial effect, alleviating the consequences of food insecurity in adolescents, are discussed. In line with the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goal of guaranteeing food security, the promotion of family dinners and their quality, frequency, and duration to leverage the beneficial effect in states of household food insecurity in Spanish adolescents should be taken into account to design actions and public campaigns in Spain.

Caregiver Influences on Eating Behaviors in Children: An Opportunity for Preventing Obesity

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review seeks to define caregiver practices that impact childhood eating behaviors and identify ways to utilize these relationships to prevent childhood obesity.

RECENT FINDINGS

Childhood obesity, which correlates with adult obesity and increased cardiovascular risk, is increasing in prevalence and severity. Caregivers play a significant role in shaping a child's eating behaviors and their predisposition to obesity. Maternal influences during pregnancy and infancy impact a child's future food preferences. Caregiver feeding styles (authoritarian, authoritative, indulgent, and uninvolved) are associated with distinct effects on children's eating behaviors and self-regulation. Authoritative feeding styles promote child autonomy while setting boundaries in the feeding environment. Early caregiver education and coaching regarding nutrition and feeding practices is beneficial to establishing healthy eating behaviors for children. Various caregivers, including parents, grandparents, siblings, teachers, and others, influence a child's eating habits at different stages of development. These caregivers can both positively and negatively impact a child's diet. Comprehensive interventions involving these various caregivers to promote healthy eating practices in children is ideal. Such interventions should be sensitive to cultural and environmental factors. Childhood obesity is a complex issue with long-term health effects. Early intervention using comprehensive approaches including all caregivers, community support, and public policies to address the social determinants of health will be beneficial. Future research should focus on valid outcome measures and equitable interventions that encompass all aspects of a child's life.

Relationship of baby led weaning to other parenting and feeding constructs

BACKGROUND

Baby-led weaning (BLW), a popular complementary feeding style, prioritizes exploration of foods, independence of children in eating, and eating with family. Though BLW has received popular attention, empirical evidence is limited. This study measured parents' reports of BLW, parenting style, and feeding practices; analyzed BLW's relation to children's dietary intake; examined how demographic variables such as age, parent sex, education, and marital status related to the prevalence of using BLW.

METHODS

This cross sectional study recruited 313 parents with children ages 6-30 months via Cloud Research, an online survey platform where individuals complete surveys for compensation. Hierarchical regressions examined how feeding style, dietary intake, and parenting style related to independence, exploration, and family subscales of BLW after controlling for relevant demographics.

FINDINGS

The majority (69.3%) of participants identified as female, white (76.6%), middle-class (52.4%), married (69%), and a third had a bachelor's degree (37.4%). Restrictive feeding practices, Ellyn Satter's division of responsibility, and the parents' sex were significant predictors of all subscales of BLW.

DISCUSSION

Parents who use BLW allowed for an autonomous food experience and were less likely to restrict or control the child's eating. BLW appears to be related to, but distinct from, well-researched parent feeding practices such as restriction and division of responsibility.

APPLICATION TO PRACTICE

These findings might be useful in education and interventions for healthcare professionals. Future research on BLW should examine how child behavior and nutrition outcomes compare to other feeding practices.

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

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.