Food Systems and Health by Shostak Sara;Perry Brea L.;

Author:Shostak, Sara;Perry, Brea L.;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited
Published: 2017-06-28T00:00:00+00:00

Caregivers’ Nutritional Attitudes and Values

A second possible explanation for socioeconomic differences in parents’ responses to children’s food requests is that more- and less-advantaged parents have different health attitudes and values. Specifically, though all children might make similar kinds of requests for food and drink, less-educated parents may not have access to information about nutritional best-practices, nor be able to put them into practice. They may also be less likely to value health, and especially healthy eating, as a central component of children’s wellbeing. Consequently, caregivers with higher SES may be more likely to limit their children’s access to unhealthy foods because they more strongly prioritize nutrition.

Existing research provides some justification for this explanation. Qualitative findings suggest that more-privileged parents are disproportionately likely to be motivated by the nutritional value of food when making consumption decisions on behalf of their families (Calnan, 1990; DeVault, 1994). In contrast, less-privileged parents in these studies more frequently reported prioritizing factors like cost and taste preferences when purchasing and preparing food. These findings were replicated in a large quantitative study, which suggested that highly-educated mothers are more likely to consider health in their food choices and to restrict their children’s access to unhealthy foods in accordance with these values (Hupkens et al., 2000).

A potential explanation for these patterns is SES differences in beliefs and knowledge about the importance of diet for health status. Research suggests that lower-SES individuals are less likely to perceive diet as having a strong influence on general health and on a variety of dietary-related health conditions compared to those with higher SES (Bogue, Coleman, & Sorenson, 2005). In the same study, and relative to their more-advantaged peers, less-advantaged adults exhibited significantly less understanding of health claims associated with nutritious foods, and less knowledge and awareness of health-enhancing diets (see also Parmenter, Waller, & Wardle, 2000). Consistent with these results, research suggests that less-privileged parents face barriers that reduce their access to information about health and nutrition. Some studies find, for example, that socioeconomically disadvantaged children are less likely to visit the doctor regularly (Heck & Parker, 2002). Thus, if pediatricians and other healthcare providers play an important role in helping parents to understand how nutrition affects children’s health, we might expect socioeconomic differences in nutritional knowledge and related attitudes and values. Consistent with this body of research, we propose the following hypotheses:

H3a: Socioeconomically disadvantaged caregivers are less likely to value healthy eating and to prioritize nutrition in food choice relative to more-privileged peers.

H3b: Differences in caregivers’ nutritional attitudes and values reduce the association between SES and parents’ likelihood of indulging children’s requests.

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