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Grandmothers’ Perception of Feeding Practices, Role-Modeling of Healthy Eating, and Grandchild Weight Status

Hodac, Nicole
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1427982601

Abstract Details

2015, MS, University of Cincinnati, Allied Health Sciences: Nutrition.
Objective: To explore factors influencing grandmothers’ feeding practices, barriers to feeding, and needs for nutrition education. Methods: After completion of a brief survey, twenty in-depth interviews were conducted with grandmothers, with partial or full responsibility for feeding their grandchildren, in an urban community clinic. Audio-recorded, in-depth interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using content analysis with NVIVO 10 software. Results: The average age of the grandmothers were 53 ± 6 years and 75% of them were African American. Grandmothers’ own and their grandchildren’s taste preferences, health condition, food availability at home, convenience, and cooking ability were major influencing factors for feeding their grandchildren. Their perception of healthy vs. unhealthy foods contributed to the formulation of rules or restrictions on feeding. Their health conditions were identified as a barrier to feeding their grandchildren along with a limited availability of foods. Grandmothers’ efforts to feed healthy foods were more for disease prevention than growth or development. Half of grandmothers reported either positive (healthier food selection, regular meal consumption, etc.) or negative (reduced portions, skipped meals, etc.) influences on their own diet from feeding grandchildren. Grandmothers rarely had concerns regarding their grandchild’s weight status but were concerned with overconsumption of sweets. Most grandmothers did not receive any education regarding how and what to feed their grandchildren; however, they were interested in acquiring knowledge and skills for adequately feeding their grandchildren. Conclusions: Taste preference, food insecurity, physical well-being and food availability were all factors which influenced the feeding practices of grandmothers for their grandchildren. Though grandmothers reported no prior education or advice for feeding their grandchildren, grandmothers expressed great interest in receiving nutrition education to improve upon their provision of nutritious meals for their grandchildren. Implications: Considering the revealed barriers and lack of received education for feeding, nutrition education targeting grandmothers should include guidance for feeding their grandchildren as well as coping strategies that address food insecurity and their own health conditions.
Seung-Yeon Lee, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Debra Ann Krummel, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
63 p.
Nutrition
Grandmother; Feeding Practice; Barrier

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Hodac, N. (2015). Grandmothers’ Perception of Feeding Practices, Role-Modeling of Healthy Eating, and Grandchild Weight Status [Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1427982601

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Hodac, Nicole. Grandmothers’ Perception of Feeding Practices, Role-Modeling of Healthy Eating, and Grandchild Weight Status. 2015. University of Cincinnati, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1427982601.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Hodac, Nicole. "Grandmothers’ Perception of Feeding Practices, Role-Modeling of Healthy Eating, and Grandchild Weight Status." Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1427982601

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1427982601
310
© 2015, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.