FAMILY FOOD CHOICES MOTIVE AMONG MALAYSIAN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN’S PARENTS
Abstract
It is important to determine the factors influencing the family, specifically the parent's food choice motives (FFCMs). These factors are perceived to relate to the nutritional status, eating habits of the children and, subsequently, their future well-being. This study aimed to determine the FFCMs factors (including health concerns, natural content, sensory appeal, convenience, weight control, price, mood, and familiarity) of the parents who had preschool children in Selangor, Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among seventy-six pairs of mothers and children aged 4 to 6 years in six selected preschools in the Klang Valley, Selangor. A set of self-administered questionnaires measuring demographic data, dietary records, and FFCMs of the parents were answered by the mother, and anthropometric measurements of the children were then taken. The mean FFCMs score found that "health" (mean 3.5 ± 0.53) was reported as the most important factor in parents' ’food choices than the "familiarity" factor (mean 2.78 ± 0.67). Compared to the ethnic groups, both Chinese and Indians mostly chose "natural content”, compared to Malay parents who chose "health" (3.55 ± 0.50) as an important factor to consider when choosing food. In conclusion, this study showed that by determining the most important factors influencing a family’s food choices, it is likely to improve the nutritional status and well-being of children and their family members. Thus, this study proposed the utilization of FFCMs as an instrument to design and develop food- and nutrition-related interventions for further studies.
References
Jarman, M., Edwards, K. & Blissett, J. Influences on the dietary intakes of preschool children: a systematic scoping review. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 19, 20 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-022-01254-8
Kanjilal B, Papiya GM, Moumita M,cHafizur MR. Nutritional status of children in India: household socio-economic condition as the contextual determinant. International Journal for Equity in Health. 2010; 9:19. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-9276-9-19
De Onis M, W Onyango A, Borghi E, Siyam A, Nishida C, Siekmann J. Development of a WHO growth reference for school-aged children and adolescents. Bull World Health Organ. 2007AD;85(February):660–7. https://doi.org/10.2471/blt.07.043497
Manna KP, Debasis D, Tushar KB, Kausik C, Debidas G. Anthropometric assessment of physical growth and nutritional status among school children of North Bengal. Anthropologist. 2011; 13(4):299-305. https://doi.org/10.1080/09720073.2011.11891211
WHO. Global strategy on diet, physical activity, and health. Childhood overweight and obesity. 2011. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity childhood/en/index.html
National Coordinating Committee on Food and Nutrition (NCFFN). Recommended Nutrient Intakes for Malaysia Ministry of Health Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. 2005.
Roos E, Lehto R, Ray C. Parental family food choice motives and children’s food intake. Food Quality and Preference. 2012 Apr;24(1):85–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2011.09.006
Kano M, Tani Y, Ochi M, Sudo N, Fujiwara T. Association between caregiver’s perception of “good” dietary habits and food group intake among preschool children in Tokyo, Japan. Front Pediatr. 2020; 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2019.00554
Gibson EL, Androutsos O, Moreno L, Flores-Barrantes P, Socha P, Iotova V, et al. Influences of Parental Snacking-Related Attitudes, Behaviours and Nutritional Knowledge on Young Children’s Healthy and Unhealthy Snacking: The ToyBox Study. Nutrients. 2020 Feb;12(2):432. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12020432
Pollard J, Kirk SF, & Cade JE. Factors affecting food choice in relation to fruit and vegetable intake: A review. Nutrition Research Reviews. 2002;15(2), 373–387. https://doi.org/10.1079/NRR200244
Davison KK, & Birch LL. Childhood overweight: a contextual model and recommendations for future research. Obesity Reviews: An Official Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity. 2001; 2(3), 159–171. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1467-789x.2001.00036.x
Prescott J, Young O, O’Neill L, Yau NJN & Steven R. Motives for food choice. A comparison of consumers from Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, and New Zealand. Food Quality and Preference, 2002; 13, 489–495. http://doi.org/10.1016/s0950-3293(02)00010-1
Pearson N, Biddle SJ, Gorely T. Family correlates of fruit and vegetable consumption in children and adolescents: A systematic review. Public Health Nutrition. 2009; 12(2), 267–283. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980008002589
Ayala GX, Baquero B, Arredondo E, Campbell N, Larios S & Elder JP. Association between family variables and Mexican American children's dietary behaviors. Journal of Nutrition Education Behavior. 2007; 39:62–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2006.08.025
Ares G, Gambaro A. Food choice and food consumption frequency for Uruguayan consumers. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 2008; 59(3), 211–223. https://doi.org/10.1080/09637480701497402
Rathuan RS, Zalbahar N, Sulaiman N. Association of Socio-Demographics and Home Food Environment Factors on Body Weight Status Among Primary School Children. 2020;7.
Aslan AA, Sulaiman N. Overweight and Obesity Among Children: A Relationship Between Maternal Beliefs and Feeding Practices With Children’s Body Mass Index-for-Age in Bandar and Jugra Kuala Langat Selangor. 2020;8.
Horn MG, Galloway AT, Webb RM, Gagnon SG. The role of child temperament in parental child feeding practices and attitudes using a sibling design. Appetite. 2011; 57: 510-518. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2011.06.015
Ferguson CJ, Mu~ noz ME, Medrano MR. Advertising influences on young children’s food and parental influence. The Journal of Pediatrics. 2012; 160 (3); 452-455. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2011.08.023
Holsten JE, Deatrick JA, Kumanyika S, Pinto-Martin J, Compher CW. A Children’s food choice process in the home environment. A qualitative descriptive study. Appetite. 2012; 58: 64-73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2011.09.002
Krejcie RV, Morgan DW. Determining sample size for research activities Educ. Psychol. Measure., 1970; 30:607-610. https://doi.org/10.1177/001316447003000308
Scaglioni S, De Cosmi V, Ciappolino V, Parazzini F, Brambilla P, Agostoni C. Factors Influencing Children's Eating Behaviours. Nutrients. 2018;10(6):706. Published 2018 May 31. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10060706
Vepsäläinen H, Nevalainen J, Fogelholm M et al. Like parent, like child? Dietary resemblance in families. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2018; 15: 62. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-018-0693-1
Steptoe A, Pollard TM & Wardle J. Development of a measure of the motives underlying the selection of food: the food choice questionnaire. Appetite. 1995; 25: 267– 284.
Asma A, Nawalyah AG, Rokiah MY & Mohd Nasir MT. Comparison of food choice motives between Malay husbands and wives in urban community. Mal J. Nutr. 2010; 16(1): 69-81.
First Data Bank. Nutritionist Pro. San Bruno. 2005. CA 94066.
Institute for Public Health. National Health and Morbidity Survey 2015 (NHMS 2015). Vol. II: Non-Communicable Diseases, Risk Factors & Other Health Problems. Vol. II, Ministry of Health. 2015.
Ahmad Fauzi F, Mohd Zulkefli NA. Early life factors on childhood overweight and obesity among preschoolers in Putrajaya. Malaysian J Med Heal Sci. 2017;13(3):11–20.
Do DP, Watkins DC, Hiermeyer M, Finch BK. The relationship between height and neighborhood context across racial/ethnic groups: A multi-level analysis of the 1999–2004 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Economics & Human Biology. 2012; 11 (1):30-41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ehb.2012.01.003
Komlos J, Lauderdale BE. Spatial correlates of US heights and body mass indexes 2002. Journal of Biosocial Science. 2007; 39, 59–78. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021932005001161
Ouyang Y, Pinstrup-Andersen P. Health Inequality between Ethnic Minority and Han Populations in China. World Development. 2012; 40 (7), 1452–1468. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2012.03.016
Baroudi T, Maiz HB, Abid HK, Benammar-Elgaaied A, Alouane LT. Applied nutritional investigation. Dietary intakes of essential nutrients among Arab and Berber ethnic groups on rural Tunisian island. Nutrition. 2010; 26; 75–81. 10.1016/j.nut.2009.05.020
Vangeepuram N, Mervish N, Maida PG, Barbara B, Mary SW. Dietary and Physical Activity Behaviors of New York City Children From Different Ethnic Minority Subgroups. Preventive Medicine. 2012. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2012.06.014
Poh BK, Ng BK, Siti Haslinda MD, Nik Shanita S, Wong JE, Budin SB, Ruzita AT, Ng LO, Khouw I, Norimah AK. Nutritional status and dietary intakes of children aged 6 months to 12 years: findings of the Nutrition Survey of Malaysian Children (SEANUTS Malaysia). Br J Nutr. 2013 Sep;110 Suppl 3:S21-35. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114513002092
Hallam J, Boswell RG, DeVito EE, Kober H. Gender-related Differences in Food Craving and Obesity. Yale J Biol Med. 2016;89(2):161-173. Published 2016 Jun 27.
Tin SP, Yin Ho S, Hang Mak K, Ka Leung W, Tai Hing L. Lifestyle and socioeconomic correlates of breakfast skipping in Hong Kong primary 4 school children. Preventive Medicine. 2011; 52; 250–253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2010.12.012
Neumark-Stzainer, D, Hannan PJ, Story M, Croll J, Perry C. Family meal patterns: associations with sociodemographic characteristics and improved dietary intake among adolescents. J Am Diet Assoc. 2003; 103:317-322. https://doi.org/10.1053/jada.2003.50048
Pieper JR, Whaley SE. Healthy eating behaviors and cognitive environment are positively associated in low-income households with young children. Appetite. 2011; 57, 59–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2011.03.016
Skouteris H, Mc Cabe M, Swinburn B, Newgreen V, Sacher P, Chadwick P. Parental influence and obesity prevention in preschoolers: a systematic review of interventions. Obesity Reviews 2011; 12(5); 315–328. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-789X.2010.00751.x
