title: Parent and child perspectives on family out-of-home eating: a qualitative analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To (i) explore the factors influencing family out-of-home (OH) eating events and (ii) identify possible opportunities for food businesses to support families in making healthier OH choices.
  
  
  METHODS
  Focus group discussions were conducted with parents (six to eight participants per group) and friendship pair discussions (informal interviews with two children who are friends) were conducted with children (5-12 years) throughout the island of Ireland. Both discussions were audio-recorded and analysed using a thematic content analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight focus groups and sixteen friendship pairs were conducted in Northern Ireland and sixteen focus groups and thirty-two friendship pairs were conducted in the Republic of Ireland.
  
  
  METHODS
  Purposive sampling was used to recruit a sample of non-related parents and children that represented equal numbers of gender, age, socio-economic status and demographic backgrounds.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The main, overarching theme was that families perceived OH eating to be a treat, while health was not currently a key priority for many parents and children. Children were reported to have most responsibility for their own food choice decisions in this environment, with taste and food neophobia having the greatest influences. Parents believed that if food businesses could meet parent and child priorities in addition to health influences, e.g. change cooking methods, and increase flexibility, then families would be more likely to patronise these establishments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The entire family OH eating experience needs to be considered when developing public health interventions and this research has highlighted key opportunities that caterers could employ to support healthier family OH food choices.
authors.affiliation: 1School of Biomedical Sciences,Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health,University of Ulster,Cromore Road,Coleraine,BT52 1SA,UK.
authors.forename: Lynn E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: McGuffin
authors.affiliation: 1School of Biomedical Sciences,Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health,University of Ulster,Cromore Road,Coleraine,BT52 1SA,UK.
authors.forename: Ruth K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Price
authors.affiliation: 1School of Biomedical Sciences,Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health,University of Ulster,Cromore Road,Coleraine,BT52 1SA,UK.
authors.forename: Tracy A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: McCaffrey
authors.affiliation: 3Millward Brown Ulster,Belfast,UK.
authors.forename: Glenn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: 3Millward Brown Ulster,Belfast,UK.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lobo
authors.affiliation: 1School of Biomedical Sciences,Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health,University of Ulster,Cromore Road,Coleraine,BT52 1SA,UK.
authors.forename: Julie M W
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.affiliation: 1School of Biomedical Sciences,Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health,University of Ulster,Cromore Road,Coleraine,BT52 1SA,UK.
authors.forename: M Barbara E
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Livingstone
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000208:ethnology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005192:Family Health / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000208:ethnology; D033062:Friends; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D008297:Male; D062407:Meals / Q000208:ethnology; D009660:Northern Ireland; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D016487:Parenting / Q000208:ethnology; D010290:Parents; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000208:ethnology; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012147:Restaurants
keywords: Catering sector; Children; Eating out of home; Family; Food choice; Obesity
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