A Qualitative Study of Food Choice in Urban Coastal Esmeraldas, Ecuador.

Autor:	Uruchima J; Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States., Renehan C; Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States., Castro N; Carrera de Nutrición y Dietética, Universidad de San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador., Cevallos W; Centro de Biomedicina, Carrera de Medicina, Universidad Central, Quito, Ecuador., Levy K; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States., Eisenberg JN; Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States., Lee GO; Rutgers Global Health Institute, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, United States.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Current developments in nutrition [Curr Dev Nutr] 2023 Apr 26; Vol. 7 (5), pp. 100093. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Apr 26 (Print Publication: 2023).
DOI:	10.1016/j.cdnut.2023.100093
Abstrakt:	Background: Constraints on food choice increase risk of malnutrition worldwide. Residents of secondary cities within low- and middle-income countries are a population of particular concern because they often face high rates of food insecurity and multiple nutritional burdens. Within this context, effective and equitable interventions to support healthy diets must be based on an understanding of the lived experience of individuals and their interactions with the food environment. Objectives: The primary objectives of this study were to describe considerations that drive household decision making around food choice in the city of Esmeraldas, Ecuador; to identify trade-offs between these considerations; and to understand how an evolving urban environment influences these trade-offs. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 mothers of young children to explore drivers in food choice throughout the purchase, preparation, and consumption chain. Interviews were transcribed and coded to identify key themes. Results: Personal preference, economic access (costs), convenience, and perceptions of food safety were key influencers of decision making related to food. In addition, concerns about personal safety in the urban environment limited physical access to food. This, combined with the need to travel long distances to obtain desirable foods, increased men's participation in food purchasing. Women's increasing engagement in the workforce also increased men's participation in food preparation. Conclusions: Policies to promote healthy food behavior in this context should focus on increasing access to health foods, such as affordable fresh produce, in convenient and physically safe locations. Curr Dev Nutr 2023;x:xx. (© 2023 The Authors.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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