An Ecocultural Perspective on Eating-Related Routines Among Low-Income Families With Preschool-Aged Children

Eating-related routines, such as regular mealtimes, can protect against obesity. Little is known about eating-related routines among preschoolers or the factors that shape those routines. Ecocultural Theory and qualitative interviews with 30 caregivers of preschoolers in Colorado were used to descri...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Qualitative health research 2019-07, Vol.29 (9), p.1345-1357
Main Authors: Bekelman, Traci A., Bellows, Laura L., Clark, Lauren, Thompson, Darcy A., Kemper, Geri, McCloskey, Morgan L., Johnson, Susan L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Caregivers
Child poverty
Child, Preschool
Childhood obesity
Colorado
Content analysis
Cultural values
Employment
Families & family life
Feeding Behavior - ethnology
Female
Focus Groups
Goals
Hispanic or Latino
Humans
Low income groups
Male
Meals
Meals - ethnology
Middle Aged
Obesity
Parents & parenting
Parents - education
Parents - psychology
Poverty
Preschool children
Qualitative Research
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Summary:Eating-related routines, such as regular mealtimes, can protect against obesity. Little is known about eating-related routines among preschoolers or the factors that shape those routines. Ecocultural Theory and qualitative interviews with 30 caregivers of preschoolers in Colorado were used to describe eating-related routines at home and parents’ perspectives on the factors that shape routines. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze and interpret data. Consistent with clinical recommendations, parents’ goals included dinner meals where adults and preschoolers eat the same food, in the same place, at the same time. However, parents’ employment schedules and challenges in managing preschoolers’ behavior prevented parents from consistently enacting recommended routines. Educating parents alone may not be sufficient to ensure optimal eating-related routines among preschoolers, and the household context needs to be considered. Families organized routines according to cultural values and available resources.
ISSN:1049-7323
1552-7557
DOI:10.1177/1049732318814540