Comparison of Family Interaction Patterns Related to Food and Nutrition

The study examined family interaction patterns related to food and nutrition and parents' attitudes toward the importance of nutrition and compared interaction patterns and attitudes of parents participating in a nutrition education program (self-selected) to a cross-sectional sample of parents. It also assessed differences according to educational level, income, and mother's employment status. Income and education levels were higher for the self-selected sample. Parents from the self-selected sample had higher attitude scores and interaction behavior scores than those in the cross-sectional sample. Ninety-five percent of mothers and 83% of fathers with young children in the cross-sectional sample ate the evening meal together. Parents who participated in a nutrition education program reported discussing topics related to food and nutrition with their families more frequently than did parents in the cross-sectional sample. For both fathers and mothers, attitude and interaction scores differed with education level. Mothers who were employed part-time showed the most positive attitudes toward nutrition and the highest family interaction scores. Possible explanations for and implications of these findings are discussed.