Mothers' self-reported grocery shopping behaviours with their 2- to 7-year-old children: relationship between feeding practices and mothers' willingness to purchase child-requested nutrient-poor, marketed foods, and fruits and vegetables. Issue 18 (7th September 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lively, Kathryn; Babawale, Oluborode; Thompson, David M; Morris, Amanda S; Harris, Jennifer L; Sisson, Susan B; Cheney, Marshall K; Lora, Karina R
• Is Part Of: Public health nutrition. Volume 20:Issue 18(2017)
• Page Start: 3343
• Page End: 3348
• Publication Date: 2017-09-07
• Subjects: Feeding practices, -- Food purchase, -- Grocery shopping, -- Children, -- Influence; Nutrition -- Periodicals; Nutrition policy -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; 613.2
• DOI: 10.1017/S1368980017002142
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1368-9800

Abstract

Abstract: Objective: To assess relationships between mothers' feeding practices (food as a reward, food for emotion regulation, modelling of healthy eating) and mothers' willingness to purchase child-marketed foods and fruits/vegetables (F&V) requested by their children during grocery co-shopping. Design: Cross-sectional. Mothers completed an online survey that included questions about feeding practices and willingness (i.e. intentions) to purchase child-requested foods during grocery co-shopping. Feeding practices scores were dichotomized at the median. Foods were grouped as nutrient-poor or nutrient-dense (F&V) based on national nutrition guidelines. Regression models compared mothers with above-the-median v . at-or-below-the-median feeding practices scores on their willingness to purchase child-requested food groupings, adjusting for demographic covariates. Setting: Participants completed an online survey generated at a public university in the USA. Subjects: Mothers ( n 318) of 2- to 7-year-old children. Results: Mothers who scored above-the-median on using food as a reward were more willing to purchase nutrient-poor foods ( β =0·60, P <0·0001), mothers who scored above-the-median on use of food for emotion regulation were more willing to purchase nutrient-poor foods ( β =0·29, P <0·0031) and mothers who scored above-the-median on modelling of healthy eating were more willing to purchase nutrient-dense foods ( β =0·22, P <0·001) than were mothers with at-or-below-the-median scores, adjusting for demographic covariates. Conclusions: Mothers who reported using food to control children's behaviour were more willing to purchase child-requested, nutrient-poor foods. Parental feeding practices may facilitate or limit children's foods requested in grocery stores. Parent–child food consumer behaviours should be investigated as a route that may contribute to children's eating patterns.