A new study in Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior suggest that parents’ work schedule affect how they feed their family.
Since most of parents are employed, it was found that there are competing demands on their time that can compromise food choices for themselves and also for the family as well.
Carol M. Devine, PhD, RD, Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, and colleagues conducted a study on how parents’ work conditions affect their family food choices. The study suggest that better work conditions may be linked with more positive strategies for home prepared family meals.
Researchers measured food choice coping strategies in low to middle income families in five different categories, (1) food prepared at/away from home; (2) missing meals; (3) individualizing meals (family eats differently, separately, or together); (4) speeding up to save time; and (5) planning.
A survey was conducted including 25 working parents or guardians from 3 racial/ethnic groups to evaluate food choice strategies. It was reported that almost quarter of working parents did not have access to healthy food.
Source: Eurekalert
