{"title":"亚美尼亚学龄儿童健康饮食习惯的障碍:定性研究","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.appet.2024.107649","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The aim of this study was to use diverse perspectives of stakeholders to explore barriers to healthy eating, and attitudes, norms, and practices contributing to unhealthy food choices among school-aged children in Armenia. A qualitative study was carried out through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews, using the Theory of Planned Behavior. The study was conducted in 21 public schools located in three provinces (<em>marzes</em>) of Armenia: Shirak, Lori, and Tavush, and the capital city Yerevan. These study areas were chosen purposefully to target more vulnerable regions and have a geographically diverse sample. Purposive sampling techniques were used to choose the study participants. Five groups were targeted: high school students, school principals, teachers, school cafeteria staff members, and mothers of school children. Overall, 10 focus group discussions, and 51 in-depth interviews were conducted with a total of 94 participants. The study explored two main themes underlying unhealthy eating behaviors among school-aged children in Armenia – <em>suboptimal preferences</em> and <em>restricted opportunities</em>. Three subthemes were identified within the theme of <em>suboptimal preferences</em>: <em>preferences</em>/<em>tastes</em>, <em>attitudes</em>, and <em>role models/normative referent</em>, and another three subthemes within the theme of <em>restricted opportunities</em>: <em>choice restrictions</em>, <em>time constraints</em>, and <em>financial barriers.</em> The study found that most of the constructs of theory of planned behavior, such as general attitudes, preferences, perceived norms and perceived behavioral control, impacted unhealthy eating behaviors of school-aged children in Armenia. The recommendations for practice included enhancing the appeal of healthy foods, highlighting the significance of breakfast and healthy eating in educational activities utilizing role models, expanding and empowering school canteens, including higher grade students in school feeding programs, and extending school breaks to provide sufficient time for healthy eating.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":242,"journal":{"name":"Appetite","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.6000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Barriers to healthy eating practices among school-aged children in Armenia: A qualitative study\",\"authors\":\"\",\"doi\":\"10.1016/j.appet.2024.107649\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<div><p>The aim of this study was to use diverse perspectives of stakeholders to explore barriers to healthy eating, and attitudes, norms, and practices contributing to unhealthy food choices among school-aged children in Armenia. A qualitative study was carried out through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews, using the Theory of Planned Behavior. The study was conducted in 21 public schools located in three provinces (<em>marzes</em>) of Armenia: Shirak, Lori, and Tavush, and the capital city Yerevan. These study areas were chosen purposefully to target more vulnerable regions and have a geographically diverse sample. Purposive sampling techniques were used to choose the study participants. Five groups were targeted: high school students, school principals, teachers, school cafeteria staff members, and mothers of school children. Overall, 10 focus group discussions, and 51 in-depth interviews were conducted with a total of 94 participants. The study explored two main themes underlying unhealthy eating behaviors among school-aged children in Armenia – <em>suboptimal preferences</em> and <em>restricted opportunities</em>. Three subthemes were identified within the theme of <em>suboptimal preferences</em>: <em>preferences</em>/<em>tastes</em>, <em>attitudes</em>, and <em>role models/normative referent</em>, and another three subthemes within the theme of <em>restricted opportunities</em>: <em>choice restrictions</em>, <em>time constraints</em>, and <em>financial barriers.</em> The study found that most of the constructs of theory of planned behavior, such as general attitudes, preferences, perceived norms and perceived behavioral control, impacted unhealthy eating behaviors of school-aged children in Armenia. The recommendations for practice included enhancing the appeal of healthy foods, highlighting the significance of breakfast and healthy eating in educational activities utilizing role models, expanding and empowering school canteens, including higher grade students in school feeding programs, and extending school breaks to provide sufficient time for healthy eating.</p></div>\",\"PeriodicalId\":242,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Appetite\",\"volume\":null,\"pages\":null},\"PeriodicalIF\":4.6000,\"publicationDate\":\"2024-08-29\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"Appetite\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"3\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666324004525\",\"RegionNum\":2,\"RegionCategory\":\"医学\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"Q1\",\"JCRName\":\"BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Appetite","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666324004525","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
Barriers to healthy eating practices among school-aged children in Armenia: A qualitative study
The aim of this study was to use diverse perspectives of stakeholders to explore barriers to healthy eating, and attitudes, norms, and practices contributing to unhealthy food choices among school-aged children in Armenia. A qualitative study was carried out through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews, using the Theory of Planned Behavior. The study was conducted in 21 public schools located in three provinces (marzes) of Armenia: Shirak, Lori, and Tavush, and the capital city Yerevan. These study areas were chosen purposefully to target more vulnerable regions and have a geographically diverse sample. Purposive sampling techniques were used to choose the study participants. Five groups were targeted: high school students, school principals, teachers, school cafeteria staff members, and mothers of school children. Overall, 10 focus group discussions, and 51 in-depth interviews were conducted with a total of 94 participants. The study explored two main themes underlying unhealthy eating behaviors among school-aged children in Armenia – suboptimal preferences and restricted opportunities. Three subthemes were identified within the theme of suboptimal preferences: preferences/tastes, attitudes, and role models/normative referent, and another three subthemes within the theme of restricted opportunities: choice restrictions, time constraints, and financial barriers. The study found that most of the constructs of theory of planned behavior, such as general attitudes, preferences, perceived norms and perceived behavioral control, impacted unhealthy eating behaviors of school-aged children in Armenia. The recommendations for practice included enhancing the appeal of healthy foods, highlighting the significance of breakfast and healthy eating in educational activities utilizing role models, expanding and empowering school canteens, including higher grade students in school feeding programs, and extending school breaks to provide sufficient time for healthy eating.
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.