ERIC Number: EJ890937
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Jul
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1499-4046
EISSN: N/A
Feeding Practices and Styles Used by a Diverse Sample of Low-Income Parents of Preschool-age Children
Ventura, Alison K.; Gromis, Judy C.; Lohse, Barbara
Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, v42 n4 p242-249 Jul 2010
Objective: To describe the feeding practices and styles used by a diverse sample of low-income parents of preschool-age children. Design: Thirty- to 60-minute meetings involving a semistructured interview and 2 questionnaires administered by the interviewer. Setting: Low-income communities in Philadelphia, PA. Participants: Thirty-two parents of 2- to 6-year-old children. Phenomena of Interest: The feeding practices and styles of low-income parents of preschoolers. Analysis: Qualitative interviews analyzed iteratively following a thematic approach; quantitative data analyzed using nonparametric and chi-square tests. Results: Qualitative analyses revealed parents used a myriad of feeding practices to accomplish child-feeding goals. Racial/ethnic differences were seen; East Asian parents used more child-focused decision-making processes, whereas black parents used more parent-focused decision-making processes. Quantitative analyses substantiated racial/ethnic differences; black parents placed significantly higher demands on children for the amounts (H = 5.89, 2 df, P = 0.05; Kruskal-Wallis) and types (H = 8.39, 2 df, P = 0.01; Kruskal-Wallis) of food eaten compared to parents of other races/ethnicities. In contrast, significantly higher proportions of East Asian parents were classified as having an indulgent feeding style compared to black parents and parents of other races/ethnicities (X[superscript 2][4, n = 32] = 9.29, P less than 0.05). Conclusions and Implications: Findings provide support for tailoring nutrition education programs to meet the diverse needs of this target audience.
Descriptors: Parent Attitudes, Nutrition, Nutrition Instruction, Eating Habits, Low Income Groups, Parents, Young Children, Interviews, Questionnaires, Urban Areas, Racial Differences, Asian Americans, African Americans, Parenting Styles
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Pennsylvania
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A