Satisfying Children's Desire: A Primary Value Driving Parents’ Food Purchasing Decisions for Elementary-school-aged Children in South Carolina (P10-043-19)

Abstract Objectives This study aimed to understand how parents made food purchasing decisions for their elementary-school-aged children and how they adjudicated among different values to make a purchasing decision. Methods Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 40 parents from low-and middle-income families in South Carolina who were primary food shoppers for their elementary-school-aged children and the households. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and open-coded. Coding matrices were used to compare parents’ responses on their decision-making process by race/ethnicity and child age. Results Parents adjudicated among nine values when they purchased foods and drinks for their elementary-school-aged children. Satisfying children's desire for a food or drink was the primary value parents identified as driving their food purchasing decisions. Parents also valued nutritional quality of the foods, children's acceptance of the foods, convenience of preparation, cost, health needs of the children, and tradition. Parents wanted their children to eat healthy but reported that they might need to compromise with the healthfulness of the foods because of their children's desire for less healthy foods. Although parents perceived that healthy foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, are expensive, they wanted to accommodate those foods in their shopping list regardless of the cost if their children desired those foods. Strategies that parents applied to make a balance between children's desire, healthfulness of the foods, and price of the foods included purchasing store brand items, seasonal fruits, and items on sale and promotion, as well as setting rules for the children. Conclusions Making food purchasing decision for children is complex as children's desire and acceptance of a food are important in parents’ decisions. Despite that parents valued nutritional quality of foods and health needs, they tend to buy less healthy foods to satisfy their children's desire. Funding Sources This study was partially funded by a SPARC grant from the University of South Carolina Office of the Vice President for Research and the Olga I. Ogoussan Doctoral Research Award from the Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina.

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Food-Choice Values of Elementary School Children and Strategies Used to Influence Mothers’ Food Purchasing Decisions

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzaa051_017 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 720-720

Author(s):

Nazratun Monalisa ◽

Edward Frongillo ◽

Christine Blake ◽

Susan Steck ◽

Robin DiPietro

Keyword(s):

Elementary School ◽

South Carolina ◽

School Children ◽

Food Choice ◽

Elementary School Children ◽

Healthy Foods ◽

Purchasing Decisions ◽

Food Purchasing ◽

Food Purchases ◽

Children's Strategies

Abstract Objectives This study aimed to understand the values held by elementary school children in constructing food choices and the strategies they used to influence their mothers’ food purchasing decisions. Methods Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 40 elementary school children (aged 6–11 years) and their mothers living in South Carolina. Food choice information was collected only from children and strategies to influence mothers’ food purchases were collected from both children and mothers. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and open-coded. Coding matrices were used to compare children's and mothers’ responses on the children's strategies to influence mothers’ food purchasing decisions. Results Children most valued taste, texture, and flavor of the food items, followed by perceived benefits, happiness, craving, following family and friends, the items’ healthfulness, preparation, and presentation when they made food choice decisions. Children reported 157 strategies that they used to influence mothers’ purchasing decisions. Mothers had concordance with 80 strategies that children mentioned. In mother-child dyads, more concordance was observed between mothers and sons than between mothers and daughters. The most common and successful strategies from both the children's and mothers’ perspectives were reasoned requests, repeated polite requests, and referencing friends. Other strategies included offers to contribute money or service, teaming up with siblings, writing a shopping list, and grabbing desired items. Mothers perceived that children had a lot of influence on their food purchasing decisions. Conclusions Children were aware of the strategies that would get positive reactions from their mothers. Mothers’ acknowledgement of children's influence on their food purchase decisions suggests that children can serve as change agents for improving mothers’ food purchases if children prefer healthy foods. Interventions are needed for mothers to help address children's strategies to influence mothers to purchase unhealthy foods and make healthy foods more appealing to children instead of yielding to children's requests for unhealthy items. Funding Sources SPARC grant and Ogoussan Doctoral Research Award from the University of South Carolina.

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Abstract P258: Racial Disparity in 90-Day Post-Stroke Readmission - An MUSC Perspective

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.135.suppl_1.p258 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 135 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Pratik Y Chhatbar ◽

Jihad S Obeid ◽

Yujing Zhao ◽

Daniel T Lackland ◽

Robert J Adams

Keyword(s):

South Carolina ◽

Quality Of Care ◽

African Americans ◽

Emergency Room ◽

International Classification Of Diseases ◽

University Of South Carolina ◽

Readmission Rates ◽

Hospital Readmission Rates ◽

Classification Of Diseases

Background: Readmissions after acute hospitalizations are a cause of both risk and expense, and many of them are potentially preventable. Importantly, risk-standardized hospital readmission rates are sometimes used as a yardstick of the quality of care offered. However, racial variability in readmissions might involve factors beyond quality of care and has not been studied extensively. Objective: To identify differences in readmissions between African Americans and other races and determine preventable readmissions from a pragmatic viewpoint. Methods: We obtained deidentified data from Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Electronic Data Warehouse (EDW) on adult admissions with index diagnosis considered as an ischemic stroke (or closely related) using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 433.x, 434.x, 436.x, 437.x between January 2011 and June 2014. Of these, we determined readmission and reason for readmission over 90-day period. Readmission can be hospital or emergency room readmission. We obtained race as the only linked demographic. Results: Of the 1953 patients admitted with index diagnoses of stroke, 765 (39%), 1148 (59%) and 50 (1%) were African Americans, Caucasians and others, respectively. At 90-days, 256 patients were readmitted as in-patient, of which 128 (50%), 126 (49%) and 2 (1%) were African Americans, Caucasians and others, respectively. On the other hand, 241 patients visited Emergency Room, of which 175 (73%), 65 (26%) and 1 (1%) were African Americans, Caucasians and others, respectively. On adjusting readmissions to index admissions, 17%, 11% and 4% of African Americans, Caucasians and others, respectively, were readmitted in hospital, while 23%, 6% and 2% of African Americans, Caucasians and others, respectively, visited Emergency Room over 90-days period. Conclusions: 90-days readmission rates involve African Americans in a disproportionate manner. This demands further investigation on the etiology of readmission and the care offered.

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The Nutritional Quality of Lunch Meals Eaten at Danish Worksites

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu10101518 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 1518 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Anne Lassen ◽

Pia Knuthsen ◽

Anette Bysted ◽

Elisabeth Andersen

Keyword(s):

Gender Differences ◽

Energy Density ◽

Nutritional Quality ◽

Vegetable Intake ◽

Fruit And Vegetable Intake ◽

Healthy Foods ◽

Fruit And Vegetable ◽

Nutritional Environment ◽

Macronutrient Distribution

Monitoring the nutritional environment is important to help inform future initiatives to improve access to healthy foods. The objective was to examine the nutritional quality of lunch meals eaten at 15 worksite canteens and then to compare with results from a study conducted 10 years before. The duplicate-portion-technique with subsequent chemical analysis was used to quantify 240 customers’ lunch intake. Estimated mean energy intake was 2.1 MJ/meal (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.9 to 2.4 g/meal) and estimated energy density 599 kJ/100 g (95% CI 550 to 653 kJ/100 g). Energy density of the male participants’ meals were significantly higher compared with the female participants’ meals (+55 kJ/100 g, 95% CI: +12 to +98 kJ/100 g, p = 0.012), whereas no gender differences were found in macronutrient distribution or fruit and vegetable intake. Compared to the study conducted 10 years before several significant changes were observed, including an increase in mean estimated intake of fruit and vegetables (+38 g/meal, 95% CI: 19 to 57 g/meal, p < 0.001) and a decrease in energy density (−76 kJ/100 g, 95% CI: −115, −37 kJ/100 g, p < 0.001). In conclusion, this study suggests an equalization of gender differences in fruit and vegetable intake and a possible improvement in the nutritional quality of canteen lunch meals over a 10-year period.

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Abstract P352: Racial Disparity in Post-stroke Readmission - a South Carolina Perspective

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.137.suppl_1.p352 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 137 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Pratik Y Chhatbar ◽

Jihad S Obeid ◽

Daniel T Lackland ◽

Suzanne P Burns ◽

Joy N Buie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South Carolina ◽

Quality Of Care ◽

African Americans ◽

Racial Disparity ◽

Clinical Care ◽

University Of South Carolina ◽

Readmission Rates ◽

Post Stroke ◽

Medical University

Background: Readmissions after acute hospitalizations are a cause of both risk and expense, and many of them are potentially preventable. Importantly, risk-standardized hospital readmission rates are sometimes used as a yardstick of the quality of care offered. However, racial variability in readmissions might involve factors beyond quality of care and has not been studied extensively. During our pilot investigation using 90-day post-stroke readmissions data at Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), we found significant disparities between African Americans and Caucasians. Objective: To identify differences in readmissions between African Americans and other races and determine preventable readmissions from a pragmatic viewpoint. Methods: We obtained deidentified data from Health Sciences South Carolina (HSSC) Clinical Data Warehouse (CDW). The data was comprised of three institutions: Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), Palmetto Health and Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center. The data consisted of on adult admissions with index diagnosis considered as an ischemic stroke (or closely related) using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth and Tenth Revision (ICD-9, ICD-10) codes between January 2011 and April 2017. Of these, we will determine readmission and reason for readmission over 90-day period. Readmission can be hospital or emergency room readmission. Results: Our database contains 32,548 patients who have been provided clinical care for stroke. Out of these patients 8,308 (25.5%), 23,085 (70.9%) and 1,155 (3.5%) are African Americans, Caucasians and others, respectively. We will present weekly readmission trends over 90 days and evaluate if there are disparities across races. We will apply chi-square test and Student’s t-test to determine statistical significance. For weekly readmission trends over 90 days, we will apply Kolmogorov-Smirnov test to identify difference in readmission patterns across races. We will also identify confounders like socioeconomic status and age and their influence in the racial disparity. Conclusions: From a single center retrospective data, we found that 90-days readmission rates involve African Americans in a disproportionate manner. This multicenter data analysis will further shed light on the etiology of readmission, confounders and the care offered.

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Food Purchasing Decisions in Overweight Mother-child Dyads in Malawi (FS01-05-19)

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzz034.fs01-05-19 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

Valerie Flax ◽

Chrissie Thakwalakwa ◽

Lindsay Jaacks ◽

John Phuka ◽

Courtney Schnefke

Keyword(s):

South Carolina ◽

International Development ◽

Food Quality ◽

Leafy Vegetables ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Purchasing Decisions ◽

Food Purchasing ◽

Food Purchases ◽

Factors Influencing ◽

Research Assistants

Abstract Objectives As obesity increases in sub-Saharan Africa, information is needed about factors influencing food choices in households with overweight members. The objective of this study was to assess women's food purchasing decisions in overweight mother-child dyads in Malawi. Methods We enrolled 50 mother-child (age 6–59 months) dyads in which either the mother, the child, or both were overweight in Lilongwe and Kasungu Districts. Research assistants accompanied each woman on a food shopping trip and filled out a structured observation form on the types of food purchased and locations of purchases. Upon returning to the woman's home, research assistants conducted an in-depth interview about the factors that influenced the woman's purchases, including asking them to sort 12 factors into piles that always, sometimes, or never influence their food purchasing choices. Results Observations showed that women most often purchased small quantities of foods needed to prepare relish (the dish accompanying the staple food), such as tomatoes (76%), green leafy vegetables (66%), cooking oil (56%), onions (44%), and fish (41%) at outdoor markets. Pile sorts and open-ended responses revealed that taste, cost, and food quality were the strongest factors influencing food purchases. Women explained that if a food is too expensive, they buy a smaller quantity or buy something else (e.g., fish instead of meat). Cooking food that their family enjoys eating influenced the foods women bought. Adding tomatoes, onions, and oil to relish was commonly described as making the food tastier. To make the child happy, >50% of the women said they buy food, such as sweets, packaged snacks, fruit, or fried food (e.g., doughnuts), specifically for their child. Conclusions Cost, taste, and food quality were the most important drivers of women's food purchasing choices. Women used some of their minimal funds to buy unhealthy foods for their children, despite their overall emphasis on food cost and quality. These findings can be used by programs to reinforce healthy and decrease unhealthy food purchases. Funding Sources Drivers of Food Choice (DFC) Competitive Grants Program, funded by the UK Government's Department for International Development and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and managed by the University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health.

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Nutritional Quality of Plant-Based Cheese Available in Spanish Supermarkets: How Do They Compare to Dairy Cheese?

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13093291 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

pp. 3291

Author(s):

Ujué Fresán ◽

Holly Rippin

Keyword(s):

Nutritional Quality ◽

Coconut Oil ◽

Nutritional Composition ◽

Nutritional Content ◽

Healthy Foods ◽

Nutritional Profile ◽

Cashew Nut ◽

Different Types ◽

Cheese Products

Plant-based cheese is one of the most increasingly consumed dairy alternatives. Evidence is lacking on their nutritional quality. We aimed to evaluate the nutritional composition of the plant-based cheese options available in Spanish supermarkets, and how they compare with dairy cheese. An audit of plant-based cheese alternatives has been conducted in seven of the most common supermarkets. For each product, the nutritional content per 100 g and ingredients were collected. Data on generic dairy cheese were retrieved from the BEDCA website. Descriptive statistics (median, minimum and maximum) were used to characterize the plant-based cheese products, for both all the products and grouped by main ingredients (i.e., coconut oil, cashew nuts and tofu). Mann–Whitney U tests were used for comparisons between dairy and different types of plant-based cheese. The coconut oil-based products (the large majority of plant-based cheese products, n = 34) could not be considered as healthy foods. Their major ingredients were refined coconut oil and starches and were high in saturated fats and salt. The other smaller groups, cashew nut- (n = 4) and tofu-based (n = 2), showed a healthier nutritional profile. Replacing dairy cheese with these groups could be nutritionally beneficial. Future investigations should address the health effects of substituting dairy cheese with these products.

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Leadership of the Principal on Laboratory Elementary School of Unimuda Sorong in Improving the Quality of Education

10.31219/osf.io/nv52g ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Manut Pratikno ◽

Muhammad Rusdi Rasyid ◽

Ismail Suardi Wekke

Keyword(s):

Elementary School ◽

Leadership Style ◽

Phenomenological Approach ◽

Quality Of Education ◽

Output Stage ◽

School Aged Children ◽

Teachers And Parents ◽

Role Of The Principal

The purpose of this study was to analyze the role of the principal in improving the quality of education at the Laboratory Elementary School of Unimuda Sorong. The methodology used was qualitative with a phenomenological approach. The study found that the role of the principal in improving the quality of education at the Laboratory Elementary School of Unimuda Sorong consisted of three stages: input, processing, and output. The input stage includes 1) Free of costs: providing free education for Papuan children and 2) Mapping: prioritizing Papuan children and transmigrants’ communities around the "Warmon Kokoda" village. The processing stage includes enlarging the classrooms, providing laboratories, creating a comfortable library for elementary school-aged children, evaluating al-Qur'an teachers, and daily controlling the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Finally, at the output stage, all of the students of the past few years graduated with stable and static grades. The leadership style carried out by the principal was democratic in all respects by taking a social-persuasive approach when problems occur between teachers and parents and the surrounding community.

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Food Purchasing Decisions in Overweight Mother-child Dyads in Malawi (FS01-05-19)

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzz028.fs01-05-19 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

Valerie Flax ◽

Chrissie Thakwalakwa ◽

Lindsay Jaacks ◽

John Phuka ◽

Courtney Schnefke

Keyword(s):

South Carolina ◽

International Development ◽

Food Quality ◽

Leafy Vegetables ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Purchasing Decisions ◽

Food Purchasing ◽

Food Purchases ◽

Factors Influencing ◽

Research Assistants

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A behavioural economics approach to improving healthy food selection among food pantry clients

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980019000405 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 22 (12) ◽

pp. 2303-2313 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Caitlin E Caspi ◽

Marna Canterbury ◽

Samantha Carlson ◽

Jamie Bain ◽

Laura Bohen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nutritional Quality ◽

Food Selection ◽

Healthy Eating Index ◽

Behavioural Economics ◽

Healthy Foods ◽

Food Pantry ◽

Food Pantries ◽

Score Range

AbstractObjectiveTo test the effect of a behavioural economics intervention in two food pantries on the nutritional quality of foods available at the pantries and the foods selected by adults visiting food pantries.DesignAn intervention (SuperShelf) was implemented in two food pantries (Sites A and B), with two other pantries (Sites C and D) serving as a control for pantry outcomes. The intervention aimed to increase the amount and variety of healthy foods (supply), as well as the appeal of healthy foods (demand) using behavioural economics strategies. Assessments included baseline and 4-month follow-up client surveys, client cart inventories, pantry inventories and environmental assessments. A fidelity score (range 0–100) was assigned to each intervention pantry to measure the degree of implementation. A Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI-2010) score (range 0–100) was generated for each client cart and pantry.SettingFour Minnesota food pantries, USA.ParticipantsClients visiting intervention pantries before (n 71) and after (n 70) the intervention.ResultsFidelity scores differed by intervention site (Site A=82, Site B=51). At Site A, in adjusted models, client cart HEI-2010 scores increased on average by 11·8 points (P<0·0001), whereas there was no change at Site B. HEI-2010 pantry environment scores increased in intervention pantries (Site A=8 points, Site B=19 points) and decreased slightly in control pantries (Site C=−4 points, Site D=−3 points).ConclusionsWhen implemented as intended, SuperShelf has the potential to improve the nutritional quality of foods available to and selected by pantry clients.

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