Balancing nutrition and budgets: Socio-ecological impacts on nutritional environments of families with low incomes

IF 4.6 2区医学 Q1 BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES

Appetite Pub Date : 2024-10-05 DOI:10.1016/j.appet.2024.107706

Brittany R. Schuler , Stacey L. Shipe , Nicole O'Reilly , Astrid Uhl , Christian E. Vazquez , Gina L. Tripicchio , Daphne C. Hernandez

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Research on childhood nutritional environments, which are predictive of a variety of child and family health and wellbeing outcomes, has primarily focused on parenting behaviors and the home food environment. However, broader social and community factors play an important role in shaping nutritional environments during early childhood. Food security is a key example that is closely linked to nutrition-related health disparities, which can arise from constrained financial resources and material deprivations. Understanding parent and caregiver lived experiences related to social and community components of family nutritional environments in the context of economic constraints could help to support multi-level nutritional practices that are optimal for healthy child development.

Method

Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted using a narrative approach with parents (n = 21) of pre-school aged children living near or below the poverty line. Participants were recruited from social and community service sites pertinent to maternal and child health in Philadelphia where health disparities are highly concentrated. Analysis was conducted using MAX QDA analytic software following a systematic approach for thematic analysis in narrative research.

Results

Three themes describe the feeding and eating environments in the home and community context: 1) Food Procurement and Meal Planning; 2) Family Togetherness; 3) Creativity, Variety, and Flexibility. Creative decision making and food procurement strategies responsive to child preferences were balanced by shopping to save and visiting multiple stores for the best foods and savings. Logistical (e.g., transportation, childcare) and emotional supports facilitated food shopping habits and routines, while lack of trusted childcare, reliable transportation, and social support barriers challenged feeding and eating decisions.

Conclusion

Strategies for improving cost and time-efficiencies could help support health-promoting nutritional environments of families with food insecurity. Building social and community capacity and facilitating connections to practical supports that include trustworthy childcare and peer support may be particularly important for this population.

查看原文本刊更多论文

平衡营养与预算：社会生态对低收入家庭营养环境的影响。

背景：儿童营养环境可预测儿童和家庭的各种健康和幸福结果，对儿童营养环境的研究主要集中在父母的养育行为和家庭食品环境上。然而，更广泛的社会和社区因素在塑造幼儿期营养环境方面发挥着重要作用。食品安全就是一个重要的例子，它与营养相关的健康差异密切相关，而这种差异可能源于经济资源的限制和物质匮乏。在经济拮据的背景下，了解父母和照料者与家庭营养环境的社会和社区组成部分相关的生活经验，有助于支持多层次的营养实践，从而优化儿童的健康成长：方法：采用叙事法对生活在贫困线附近或贫困线以下的学龄前儿童的家长（21 人）进行了半结构式深度访谈。参与者是从费城母婴健康相关的社会和社区服务机构招募的，那里是健康差异高度集中的地区。分析采用 MAX QDA 分析软件，并遵循叙事研究中主题分析的系统方法：结果：三个主题描述了家庭和社区的喂养和饮食环境：1) 食物采购和膳食计划；2) 家庭团聚；3) 创造性、多样性和灵活性。根据孩子的喜好做出有创意的决策和食物采购策略，并通过购物节省开支，到多家商店购买最好的食物和节省开支。后勤（如交通、托儿所）和情感支持促进了食品购物习惯和常规，而缺乏可信赖的托儿所、可靠的交通和社会支持障碍则对喂养和饮食决策提出了挑战：提高成本和时间效率的策略有助于为粮食不安全家庭提供促进健康的营养环境。建设社会和社区能力以及促进与实际支持（包括可信赖的托儿服务和同伴支持）的联系，可能对这一人群尤为重要。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Appetite 医学-行为科学

CiteScore

9.10

自引率

11.10%

发文量

566

审稿时长

13.4 weeks

期刊介绍： Appetite is an international research journal specializing in cultural, social, psychological, sensory and physiological influences on the selection and intake of foods and drinks. It covers normal and disordered eating and drinking and welcomes studies of both human and non-human animal behaviour toward food. Appetite publishes research reports, reviews and commentaries. Thematic special issues appear regularly. From time to time the journal carries abstracts from professional meetings. Submissions to Appetite are expected to be based primarily on observations directly related to the selection and intake of foods and drinks; papers that are primarily focused on topics such as nutrition or obesity will not be considered unless they specifically make a novel scientific contribution to the understanding of appetite in line with the journal's aims and scope.