title: Contextual and Cultural Influences on Parental Feeding Practices and Involvement in Child Care Centers among Hispanic Parents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Parental feeding practices shape children's dietary preferences and behaviors, which can influence a child's weight status. Limited research exists on the precursors and contextual influences of feeding, particularly among Hispanic parents. Therefore, this study explored two areas potentially important for obesity prevention in young children: (1) precursors and contextual influences on parental feeding and (2) parental perceptions and knowledge of the child care food environment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four focus groups (n=36) were held with Hispanic parents, predominantly mothers, of preschool children at two child care centers. Parents were asked about influences on what and how they feed their children, awareness of the child care center feeding environment, and current involvement in the child care center. Themes were coded using NVivo10 software (QSR International, Melbourne, Australia).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants' childhood experiences influenced how they feed their children. Parents stated that both husbands and grandparents often indulged their children with unhealthy foods and thought this interfered with their efforts to maintain a healthy home environment. Participants reported that what their children ate while in child care sometimes influenced the home feeding environment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cultural and environmental factors influence parental feeding and involvement in the child care setting. Consistent with socioecological system theory, exploring interactions between the environment and culture using a family focus framework, such as the Family Ecological Model, could provide a better understanding of these influences among Hispanic parents. Future obesity prevention interventions with Hispanic families should be culturally relevant and target the different environments where children spend their time.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Rhode Island , Kingston, RI.
authors.forename: Noereem Z
authors.initials: NZ
authors.lastname: Mena
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Psychology, University of Rhode Island , Kingston, RI.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gorman
authors.affiliation: 3 Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University , Ithaca, NY.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dickin
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Rhode Island , Kingston, RI.
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Rhode Island , Kingston, RI.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tovar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002654:Child Care; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D002149:Energy Intake; D005192:Family Health; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016487:Parenting; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D012237:Rhode Island / Q000453:epidemiology; D012931:Social Environment