scholarly journals Constraints on food choices of women in the UK with lower educational attainment

2008 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1229-1237 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Barker ◽  
WT Lawrence ◽  
TC Skinner ◽  
CO Haslam ◽  
SM Robinson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Higher Educational ◽  
Caucasian Women ◽  
Higher Educational Attainment ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Lower Educational Attainment

AbstractObjectiveWomen of lower educational attainment have less balanced and varied diets than women of higher educational attainment. The diets of women are vital to the long-term health of their offspring. The present study aimed to identify factors that influence the food choices of women with lower educational attainment and how women could be helped to improve those choices.DesignWe conducted eight focus group discussions with women of lower educational attainment to identify these factors. We contrasted the results of these discussions with those from three focus group discussions with women of higher educational attainment.SettingSouthampton, UK.SubjectsForty-two white Caucasian women of lower educational attainment and fourteen of higher educational attainment aged 18 to 44 years.ResultsThe dominant theme in discussions with women of lower educational attainment was their sense that they lacked control over food choices for themselves and their families. Partners and children exerted a high degree of control over which foods were bought and prepared. Women’s perceptions of the cost of healthy food, the need to avoid waste, being trapped at home surrounded by opportunities to snack, and having limited skill and experience with food, all contributed to their sense they lacked control over their own and their family’s food choices.ConclusionsAn intervention to improve the food choices of women with lower educational attainment needs to increase their sense of control over their diet and the foods they buy. This might include increasing their skills in food preparation.

‘For Better or Worse?’: Heterosexuality Reinvented

2002 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 68-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny Hockey ◽  
Victoria Robinson ◽  
Angela Meah
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Empirical Study ◽  
Theoretical Approach ◽  
Preliminary Data ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Heterosexual Relationships ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
The Uk ◽  
People’S Perceptions

Based upon a series of focus group discussions carried out in East Yorkshire, this article contributes to debates on both the nature and theorising of heterosexual relationships that have recently been investigated from diverse perspectives. These group discussions represent the launch of the first major empirical study of heterosexuality and ageing that has been undertaken in the UK. In drawing upon preliminary data from these focus groups, our findings reinforce and add to the challenging of a representation of heterosexuality which is both monolithic and inflexible, by exploring accounts of peoples’ actual lived experiences. Through this research we begin to generate a theoretical approach which highlights the complexity of these lived realities. We particularly explore the intersections of gender, age, class and family location. In doing so, we pinpoint differences, contradictions, but also continuities, in the ways in which people discuss and comment on their own and other people's perceptions and experiences of heterosexuality.

scholarly journals Exploring perceptions and attitudes of black Sub-Sahara African (BSSA) migrants towards residential care in England

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 307-315
Author(s):  
Mathew Nyashanu ◽  
Scovia Nalugo Mbalinda ◽  
Fungisai Mushawa ◽  
Mandu Stephene Ekpenyong
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Residential Care ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Death And Dying ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Early 19Th Century ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
The Uk

Purpose Since the early 19th century, the UK has seen a decrease in mortality rates and increase in life expectancy. This has increased the number of elderly people being put into residential care. Change in British population demography with the arrival of many Africans from the black Sub-Sahara African (BSSA) countries has increased the need of these services. The purpose of this paper is to explore perceptions and attitude of BSSA towards residential care from potential user perspective. Design/methodology/approach This study was explorative qualitative in nature, using focus group discussions and one-on-one follow up semi-structured interviews. The focus group discussions and interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. The Silences Framework was used to guide this study, and the collection of data was done using the thematic analysis approach. Findings This study found out that the sense of confinement, lack of ownership, non-provision of culturally friendly food, non-provision of culturally friendly personal care, non-provisional of culturally orientated death and dying care, stigma for being neglected and perceived poor inclusivity leading to loneliness were found to discourage BSSA research participants from taking up residential care in the UK. Research limitations/implications In future, there is need for cross-cultural comparisons of BSSA communities living in the UK and BSSA communities living in Africa or other parts of the world. This may enhance understanding the differences and similarities based on contextual social, political and economic factors. Practical implications There is a need to understand the needs and concerns of new communities in relation to residential care and make necessary changes to enhance diversity and inclusivity. More importantly, the curriculum and professional development courses for staff in health and social care need to factor in the concepts of cultural competency and inclusivity to prepare them for the increasingly changing terrain of social care. Originality/value Owing to the changing demography and diversity in the UK population, there is a need to re-orient and re-design residential care services provision to make it diverse and inclusive of new communities from other cultures.

Teachers’ and Parents’ Perceptions on Eating Behaviour of Primary School Students: A Qualitative Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 119-128
Author(s):  
Milan Acharya ◽  
Kamal Prasad Acharya
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Eating Behaviour ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Feeding Strategies ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
School Students ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Teachers And Parents ◽  
Grade One

This study explores the perceptions involved in the healthy eating behaviour of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-grade students in a primary level community school in Nepal. A total, ten observations during mid-day meal and three focus group discussions were conducted among teachers and parents. Sixty students from grade one to three, five teachers and sixteen parents took part in the study. All the participating teachers and parents were engaged in dialogue conferences during focus groups and students’ eating behaviours were observed by the teachers and parents during tiffin time throughout the study. Thematic-content analysis based on the qualitative approach was used on the collected data from the field notes during a series of participant observations and focus group discussions. It is found that the family norms and feeding culture around a child’s domestic life have an active role in establishing and promoting healthy habits that persists throughout. It is also noted that parental food habits and feeding strategies are the most dominant determinants of children eating behaviour and food choices of mid-day meal during tiffin time at the school. It is recommended that parents and teachers should expose their children and students to a range of good food choices and acting as positive role models.  

scholarly journals Socio-Economic Participation of Somali Refugees in the Netherlands, Transnational Networks and Boundary Spanning

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 264-274
Author(s):  
Ilse Van Liempt ◽  
Gery Nijenhuis
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Boundary Spanning ◽  
Immigrant Group ◽  
Transnational Networks ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Somali Refugees ◽  
Economic Participation ◽  
The Uk

<p>In this article we analyse the socio-economic participation of Somali refugees in the Netherlands. Unemployment is higher among Somalis than any other refugee or immigrant group in the Netherlands and they face many obstacles when it comes to social and economic participation. At the same time, they are known for having a strong transnational orientation. We were interested to learn whether and, if so, how Somalis use their transnational networks to overcome obstacles on the Dutch labour market and how boundaries around formal labour markets are negotiated in order to access employment and to participate. We did so by focusing on two strategies employed to participate, namely through Somali organizations in the Netherlands and elsewhere, and by Somalis moving to the UK. In doing so, we looked at Somalis’ ability to span boundaries to create opportunities. The concept of transnational networks is helpful in understanding Somalis’ daily realities, but conceptually it does not seem to fit entirely as these networks usually only refer to connections with the ‘homeland.’ We argue that Somalis’ boundary-spanning activities move beyond national levels and involve various scales, sites, and settings. The data we refer to are derived from focus group discussions with 66 Somali people in Amsterdam and 20 interviews with experts who work with the Somali community in the Netherlands. These discussions and interviews were held in 2013–14. We also draw on 20 interviews with Somali organizations in the Netherlands about their transnational orientation, which were conducted between 2010 and 2013 in the context of another research project.</p>

Engaging the Public on Technical Issues

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brendan Breen ◽  
Elizabeth Atherton ◽  
Steve Barlow
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
The Public ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Technical Issues ◽  
The Uk

United Kingdom Nirex Limited (Nirex) is responsible for providing the UK with environmentally-sound and publicly-acceptable options for the long-term management of radioactive materials generated by the Nation’s commercial, medical, research and defence activities. An important part of Nirex’s responsibilities in developing these options is to build acceptance of its concepts through effective dialogue and engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. One of the options developed by Nirex for the long-term isolation of intermediate-level and some low-level from the accessible environment is to place these wastes in a deep underground repository, excavated in stable rock formations. The repository would remain accessible to allow future generations to have the choice of continuing to store the waste, or to dispose of the wastes by sealing and closing the repository. In conducting the scientific and technical research on this phased disposal concept, Nirex wanted its work programmes to take account of any public concerns with regard to radioactive waste and its management and proposed to develop its understanding of such concerns through public engagement. In October 2001, Nirex engaged an independent organisation to conduct a series of focus group discussions. Focus group meetings were arranged in 4 locations across the UK, selecting varying groups in terms of age, lifestage and socio-economic circumstances in order to engage a broad cross-section of the UK population. Each group attended two, 2-hour sessions on successive evenings. The first session was a general discussion of the issues of nuclear energy and radioactive waste. The second session focused on the more specific detail of the Nirex Phased Disposal Concept. Explanatory material was given to participants at each session. The work has provided some very useful information on issues, which the focus groups considered significant. The groups were able, in the short time available, to grasp many important issues and to provide their views across a range of technical areas. This work has helped Nirex to better understand ways of engaging the public in technical issues and to appreciate some of the key areas and concerns on the more technical areas associated with phased disposal. Several technical queries were identified, which the facilitators were unable to answer during the focus group discussions — Nirex has subsequently provided answers to these questions and made these available on the Nirex Bibliography. This paper describes the approach taken for the focus groups and outlines key findings from the work and some implications for Nirex in communicating technical issues to the public.

scholarly journals Consumers’ Perspectives on Eggs from Insect-Fed Hens: A UK Focus Group Study

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 420
Author(s):  
Sabrina Spartano ◽  
Simona Grasso
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Consumer Acceptance ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Welfare Benefits ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Attitudes And Perceptions ◽  
The Uk

In recent years, there has been growing interest in insects as an alternative to soybean meal as laying hen feed due to nutrition, sustainability, and animal welfare benefits. Although some studies have investigated consumer acceptance and intentions towards insect-fed foodstuffs, no studies are available on eggs from insect-fed hens. This qualitative study aimed to explore consumers’ attitudes and perceptions towards eggs from insect-fed hens and factors influencing intentions to consume and purchase the product. Three focus group discussions were employed with a total of 19 individuals from the UK. Results showed that the environmental, animal welfare, and food waste benefits of feeding hens with insects positively influenced attitudes. Results also indicated price and disgust towards insects as feed were the main barriers, while enhanced welfare standards (e.g., free-range labelling) and information on benefits were main drivers. Therefore, the study suggests that educating and informing consumers about the benefits of feeding hens with insects may increase intentions to consume and purchase eggs from insect-fed hens. Given this emerging area of research, this study contributes to the limited literature on insect-fed foodstuffs and paves the way for further research on the topic.

scholarly journals Keeping the faith: Receptiveness, capacity and acceptability of Islamic religious settings to deliver childhood obesity prevention intervention

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sufyan Abid Dogra ◽  
Kiran Rai ◽  
Sally Barber ◽  
Rosemary RC McEachan ◽  
Peymane Adab ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Childhood Obesity ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Obesity Prevention ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Childhood Obesity Prevention ◽  
Prevention Intervention ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Keeping the faith: Receptiveness, capacity and acceptability of Islamic religious settings to deliver childhood obesity prevention interventionBackground: Childhood obesity rates among South Asian populations in the UK are significantly high. 10% of childhood population in the UK are of South Asian origin, majority of them follow Islamic faith and attend Islamic religious settings (IRS) daily after school. IRS may be appropriate channels for obesity prevention initiatives; however there is limited evidence for this approach. Methods: Using a qualitative research methodology, we conducted 20 indepth interviews with parents of 5-11 years old children attending IRS, 20 indepth interviews with Islamic leaders, and 3 focus group discussions with 26 managers and workers of IRS in Bradford and Birmingham in the UK. The guides for interviews and focus groups, tailored to each group of participants, were developed from a literature review and prior learning from the results of other work packages in the same study. Interviews and focus group discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed thematically. Results: IRS are receptive to delivering a childhood obesity prevention intervention. Most of them have the capacity and the delivery would be acceptable to parents of children attending these settings. All participants viewed Prophet Muhammad’s physical fitness, food and his attitude towards physical activity and maintaining healthy lifestyle as the best role model to follow. Managers and workers in IRS showed willingness to conduct physical activity sessions for South Asian boys and girls and emphasised the need to have female instructors and role models to encourage South Asian girls. Practical barriers for the intervention delivery were poor funding systems and time constraints for managers and workers. Conclusion: IRS can deliver childhood obesity prevention interventions. Interventions should be co-designed, culturally/religiously sensitive and combine the scientific guidelines on healthy living with Islamic narrative on importance of physical activity and healthy diet consumption and should involve local place-based groups for delivery.

scholarly journals Determinants of diet and physical activity in adolescents in Mysore, India: a qualitative study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shama Joseph ◽  
G. V. Krishnaveni ◽  
K. Kumaran ◽  
Susie Weller ◽  
M. C. Ramya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Young People ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Dietary Behaviour ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
South Indian

Abstract Background Adolescence is an important transitional period in which major physical, psychological and cognitive changes occur. Lifestyle habits during this time, particularly related to dietary behaviour and physical activity, strongly influence overall health and non-communicable disease risk in adulthood. There are gaps in knowledge about the determinants of food choices and physical activity habits of adolescents in low and middle income countries. Objectives To identify factors which influence the food choices and physical activity habits of adolescents in the South Indian city of Mysore, India. Methods Six focus group discussions were conducted in selected urban neighbourhoods of Mysore. Thirty volunteers were recruited by purposive sampling method to include younger (10-12 years old, n=12) and older (15-17 years old, n=12) adolescents, and caregivers of adolescents (n=6). The focus group discussions were conducted by investigators who were native to the region Results Despite revealing a propensity for consuming fast foods, adolescents ate home cooked meals regularly, and both young people and their parents were satisfied with the quality of the adolescents’ diets. Also, all participant groups reported that adolescents regularly played and enjoyed games and sports, and did household chores as part of their physical activity. However, the pressure of schoolwork and the increasing amounts of time spent on digital devices including mobile phones were major constraints to being active. Conclusions Adolescents and caregivers perceive that Mysore adolescents’ dietary habits remain satisfactory. Academic study was found to be the priority in adolescents’ lives. This is recognized and accepted both socially and culturally as the right choice by parents and young people alike. Therefore, not much time or effort is spent on being active. A contradiction is that although time is considered to be a scarce commodity that necessitates careful partitioning, any surplus time is preferentially spent in playing digital games and interacting on social media. Interventions are needed to increase the amount of physical activity undertaken by Mysore adolescents.

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