Child control of food choices in Head Start families.
OBJECTIVE
To describe parents' perceived feeding practices of their Head Start children as related to 6 feeding constructs based on the literature about the division of mealtime responsibilities.


METHODS
A qualitative study involving 45-minute audiotaped and transcribed discussion groups with items that probed constructs of interest.


METHODS
Five discussion groups were conducted in local, urban Head Start sites in a north central state.


METHODS
Head Start staff recruited 29 limited-income parents.


METHODS
Parental comments were coded into categories related to the 6 feeding constructs and perceived barriers to their implementation.


METHODS
Researchers independently coded the discussion group transcripts based on common themes and feeding constructs. Codes were discussed until consensus was reached and data analyzed using Ethnograph 5.0.


RESULTS
Parents frequently reported that their children decided which foods were offered for meals and snacks. Most parents reported such child control of foods to be a barrier to pleasant meal times.


CONCLUSIONS
Nutrition educators can suggest solutions to improve parental self-efficacy for practicing mealtime responsibilities, such as offering a choice of several healthy foods from which a child might choose. The importance of planned meal and snack times might be promoted based on aiding children's appetites at meals and reducing mealtime conflicts.
Hoerr
Sharon
S
Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA. hoerrs@msu.edu
Utech
Anne E
AE
Ruth
Erin
E
D053198:Child Nutrition Sciences / Q000193:education; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002755:Choice Behavior; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational / Q000379:methods*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations