C Pettinger

Psycho-social influences on food choice in Southern France and Central England

This study used attitudinal scales to investigate the nature of attitudes to diet and health in a northern European country (Central England) and a southern European country (Mediterranean France). Cross-sectional studies were conducted using self-administered postal questionnaires that were distributed simultaneously in April 2001 in Montpellier, France and Nottingham, England. A stratified random sample of 1000 males and 1000 females aged 18-65 years was generated from the electoral roll in each country. The final sample comprised England: n = 826 (58% male and 42% female; mean age=44 years) and France: n = 766 (42% male and 58% female; mean age=42 years). This study has demonstrated that the pleasurable and social aspects of eating, certain food quality issues, as well as health as a value were regarded as priorities by French respondents. On the other hand, English respondents reported that organic and ethical issues and convenience were important factors influencing their food choices. In conclusion, the two populations can be differentiated overall in their attitudes and beliefs to food choice.

A qualitative study exploring parental accounts of feeding pre-school children in two low-income populations in the UK

Good nutrition in the early years of life is essential, yet the diets of many pre-school children in the UK are known to be poor. Understanding the decisions parents make when feeding young children is very important in determining what type and nature of interventional support may be developed to promote good nutrition. The aim of this study was to explore using qualitative methods, parental perceptions of feeding their children in order to inform the development of a nutrition intervention. Focus groups (n = 33) and individual interviews (n = 6) were undertaken with parents, most of whom were attending childrens centres in two deprived populations from one urban (Islington, north London) and one rural (Cornwall) location in England. Accounts of feeding pre-school children were primarily concerned with dealing with the practicalities of modern life, in particular the cost of food and the need to manage on a restricted household budget. Time pressures, a lack of perceived knowledge and confidence in preparing food and managing conflict over food choices between family members were also strong themes. Parents commonly reported differences between how they would like to feed their children and the reality of what they were able to do in their circumstances. These findings suggest that the poor eating habits of many pre-school children may be less a case of parental ignorance but rather the product of a range of coping strategies. Designing an intervention, which helps parents to build their confidence and self-efficacy, may enable them to make positive changes to their childrens diets.

Developing a nutrition intervention in children's centres: exploring views of parents in rural/urban settings in the UK

OBJECTIVE The present study explored parents’ requirements for healthy eating support prior to the development of a tailored intervention. DESIGN A cross-sectional study of parents attending children’s centres. SETTING Children’s centres in Cornwall (rural south-west England) and Islington (urban London borough). SUBJECTS A total of 261 parents (94.2% female) of pre-school children (aged 2–5 years) completed a questionnaire on factors influencing food choice, and preferences for and views on healthy eating support. RESULTS Parents reported that health, taste, freshness and quality were the most important factors influencing their food choices for their pre-school children. The importance of individual factors varied according to level of educational attainment. Over a third (38 %) of parents said they wanted more advice on healthy eating for children. Less educated parents showed the greatest interest in learning more about several aspects: what a ‘healthy diet’ means, how to prepare and cook healthy food, how to understand food labels, budgeting for food, examples of healthy food and snacks for children, appropriate portion sizes for children and ways to encourage children to eat well. CONCLUSIONS There was demand for healthy eating support among parents of pre-school children, especially those who are less educated, in one rural and one urban area of England

Revisiting British meals.

Abstract The idea of the British meal is revisited, and its historical definitions and the contribution that research on the family meal has made to this debate are discussed. The definition of what ‘eating properly’ means for some British households is studied and conclusions from contemporary research are drawn to comment on the time spent eating at home, changing meal patterns and the nature of domestic meals. Accounts based on time use diary data and market research on the status of the domestic family are cited. British meal patterns are described and the effects of acculturation, convenience, and concerns over health and indulgence on contemporary British meals are outlined.

Engaging homeless individuals in discussion about their food experiences to optimise wellbeing: A pilot study

Objective: High levels of social and economic deprivation are apparent in many UK cities, where there is evidence of certain ‘marginalised’ communities suffering disproportionately from poor nutrition, threatening health. Finding ways to engage with these communities is essential to identify strategies to optimise wellbeing and life skills. The Food as a Lifestyle Motivator project aimed to pilot creative methods among homeless adults for the examination of food-related experiences in order to facilitate their engagement in the wellbeing discourse. Design: Creative Participatory Action Research methods including Photo-Elicitation. Setting: A homeless service provider in Plymouth, UK. Method: A sample of homeless service users took photographs of their food activities over a 10-day period, and then volunteered to share their photos in focus group discussions to elicit meaning related to their food experiences. Results: Five themes were generated from nine service user narratives, demonstrating that food holds meaning, elicits emotions and exerts power. The food environment can be a critical social meeting place and food preparation can provide companionship and occupation. Conclusion: As well as being central to many health concerns, food may also be a powerful way to motivate people to change their lifestyle. The participatory methods used in this pilot hold potential to engage effectively with harder-to-reach service users. Discussions about their wellbeing indicate food as a powerful ‘catalyst’ for inclusion with the potential to empower individuals. The study serves to inform health education practice, design of services and address (nutritional) health inequalities.

Sustainable eating: Opportunities for nutrition professionals

Increasing demand for food from a growing human population is leading to adverse environmental and health consequences. The emerging topical issue of sustainable eating and diets might offer new opportunities for the training of nutrition professionals. Ongoing research is uncovering synergies between how dietary patterns can meet both health and environmental goals. Yet this area is a challenge for the nutrition professions, as relevant education often involves politically driven, systems leadership-style thinking, which is drawn from a less familiar evidence base than traditional nutritional sciences. As pressures mount to achieve sustainability agenda goals, new evidence appraisal and educational input are essential to support the potential role of nutrition professionals. This article appraises sustainable eating and diets, as well as considering the value of better education to be embedded more consistently within nutrition curricula and Continued Professional Development (CPD), to achieve sustainability literacy for nutrition professionals. The importance of stronger advocacy skills and collaborative leadership is also highlighted, as well as the need for more effective high-level policy involvement. Recommendations for how nutrition professionals can be more effectively equipped for this emerging and dynamic area of professional practice are provided.

Engaging student dietitians in ‘sustainability principles’ throughout the curriculum: an exploratory pedagogic workshop

The School of Public Health offers an undergraduate major through the College of Letters & Science (http://ls.berkeley.edu/). The goal of the major is to provide students with an understanding of epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, health behavior, and health policy. These areas of emphasis range across the spectrum of natural science to social science. Public health is the interdisciplinary science of preventing disease and injury to improve the health of communities and populations. Public health professionals work to identify solutions to address complex issues as wide ranging as air pollution, chronic disease, gun violence, infectious diseases, tobacco control and mental health.

Employing Participatory Methods to Engage an Under-Researched Group: opportunities and challenges

In this article, we report on our experience of working on an exploratory project where the primary objective was to involve homeless service users with food-based participatory qualitative approaches. The project FLM aimed to explore food experiences and behaviours in a sample of users of homelessness services in a south west UK coastal city, in order to create solutions to improve their wellbeing. A mixture of qualitative methods was used, including observations, photo-elicitation and focus group discussions. We aimed to be participatory and ‘creative’ in our approach and in our analysis. Here, we focus on detailing and critiquing our approach to the collection and analysis of data.