Aarhus University, Denmark; University of Nottingham, UK.
Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
Health Educ Behav. 2023 Feb;50(1):84-96. doi: 10.1177/10901981221074912. Epub 2022 Feb 3.
Research on behavioral and social science has demonstrated that transitions throughout a person's life course, as the life event of becoming a parent, represent an opportunity for dietary changes. However, research in this area has been mostly restricted to developed European and North American countries and has shown ambiguous results. The present work aimed to gain an in-depth understanding on the changes in eating habits caused by the transition to parenthood and to explore factors influencing those changes in Uruguay, a Latin American country. Forty-two in-depth interviews with Uruguayan parents from diverse social-economic backgrounds were conducted. The narrations by the interviewees evidenced mostly positive changes during three stages in the transition: pregnancy, the first months with the baby, and the beginning of complementary feeding. Most informants perceived changes mainly in terms of increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, and pulses; increased consumption of homemade meals; and decreased consumption of ultra-processed foods, fast foods, and fried foods. Reasons for these changes included adaptation of meals to the child's needs and schedule, feeling of responsibility for the child's health, and willingness to be a good role model. Factors influencing changes in eating habits were identified in some levels of the socioecological model and included socioeconomic status; price of fruits, vegetables, and fish; low accessibility of good quality fish; perceived time pressure; father's low interest on healthy eating; social support; and access to nutrition information. Findings suggest that parenthood represents a window of opportunity for favorable changes in eating habits. However, barriers constraining those changes should be addressed by stakeholders.
行为和社会科学研究表明，人的一生会经历许多阶段，成为父母就是其中一个重要的人生转变，这为改变饮食习惯提供了契机。然而，该领域的研究主要集中在发达的欧洲和北美国家，研究结果也存在差异。本研究旨在深入了解乌拉圭人在为人父母这一转变过程中饮食习惯的变化，并探讨影响这些变化的因素。乌拉圭是一个拉丁美洲国家，我们对来自不同社会经济背景的 42 名乌拉圭父母进行了深入访谈。受访者的叙述表明，在为人父母的三个阶段（怀孕期、婴儿出生后的头几个月和开始添加辅食阶段），饮食习惯大多发生了积极的变化。大多数受访者认为，饮食习惯的变化主要体现在增加了水果、蔬菜和豆类的摄入量；增加了家庭自制餐的摄入量；减少了超加工食品、快餐和油炸食品的摄入量。这些变化的原因包括根据孩子的需求和时间表调整饮食、对孩子健康负责的意识，以及成为良好榜样的意愿。在社会生态模式的某些层面上确定了影响饮食习惯变化的因素，包括社会经济地位；水果、蔬菜和鱼类的价格；高质量鱼类的可获得性低；感知到的时间压力；父亲对健康饮食的兴趣低；社会支持；以及获取营养信息的渠道。研究结果表明，为人父母是改善饮食习惯的一个契机。然而，利益相关者应关注那些限制这些变化的障碍。
