Department of Nutritional Sciences, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.
Department of Food Science, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.
Matern Child Nutr. 2018 Apr;14(2):e12540. doi: 10.1111/mcn.12540. Epub 2017 Oct 10.
This study examined how food-related behaviours differed in mothers and their preschool children by levels of family functioning (cohesion and conflict) and household disorganization (chaos). A nationally representative sample of mothers of preschoolers completed an online survey assessing food-related behaviours of themselves and their children. Maternal and child diet, eating behaviours, and health status; household availability of fruits/vegetables, salty/fatty snacks, and sugar-sweetened beverages; family mealtime atmosphere; and family conflict, cohesion, and household chaos were assessed with valid, reliable scales. Cluster analyses assigned families into low, middle, and high conflict, cohesion, and chaos groups. Participants (n = 550) were 72% White, and 82% had some post-secondary education. Regression analysis examining the association of cluster grouping levels on diet-related behaviour measures revealed that positive home environments (i.e., low family conflict, high family cohesion, and low household chaos) were associated with healthier food-related behaviours (e.g., increased fruits/vegetables intake), whereas negative home environments (i.e., high family conflict, low family cohesion, and high household chaos) were associated with unhealthy food-related behaviours (e.g., greater % total calories from fat) even after controlling for sociodemographic and related behavioural factors. Findings suggest family functioning and household chaos are associated with food-related behaviours. This frequently overlooked component of family interaction may affect intervention outcomes and objectives of educational and interventional initiatives.
本研究考察了家庭功能（凝聚力和冲突）和家庭混乱（混乱）水平对母亲及其学龄前儿童的食物相关行为的影响。一个具有全国代表性的学龄前儿童母亲样本完成了一项在线调查，评估了自己和孩子的与食物相关的行为。采用有效的、可靠的量表评估了母亲和儿童的饮食、饮食行为和健康状况；家庭中水果/蔬菜、咸/高脂肪零食和含糖饮料的供应情况；家庭用餐氛围；以及家庭冲突、凝聚力和家庭混乱。聚类分析将家庭分为低、中、高冲突、凝聚力和混乱组。参与者（n=550）中 72%为白人，82%接受过一些高等教育。回归分析考察了聚类分组水平与饮食相关行为测量之间的关联，结果表明，积极的家庭环境（即低家庭冲突、高家庭凝聚力和低家庭混乱）与更健康的饮食相关行为（例如，增加水果/蔬菜摄入量）相关，而消极的家庭环境（即高家庭冲突、低家庭凝聚力和高家庭混乱）与不健康的饮食相关行为（例如，更高的总脂肪卡路里百分比）相关，即使在控制了社会人口统计学和相关行为因素之后也是如此。研究结果表明，家庭功能和家庭混乱与饮食相关行为有关。家庭互动中经常被忽视的这一组成部分可能会影响干预结果和教育及干预措施的目标。
