Treats are a tool of the trade: an exploration of food treats among grandparents who provide informal childcare
| Autor: | Sandra Mortimer, Carly J Moores, Morgan Pankhurst, Lucinda K Bell, Louisa Matwiejczyk, Ivanka Prichard, Kaye Mehta |
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| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
Male
media_common.quotation_subject Medicine (miscellaneous) Identity (social science) Child Behavior Dental Caries Grounded theory Developmental psychology Pleasure Interviews as Topic South Australia Humans Narrative Child Care Qualitative Research media_common Aged Nutrition and Dietetics Parenting Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health Infant Grandparent Feeding Behavior Middle Aged Focus group Grandparents Child Preschool Intergenerational Relations Female Diet Healthy Snacks Psychology Meaning (linguistics) Qualitative research Research Paper |
| Zdroj: | Public Health Nutr |
| ISSN: | 1475-2727 1368-9800 |
| Popis: | Objective:Globally, grandparents are the main informal childcare providers with one-quarter of children aged ≤5 years regularly cared for by grandparents in Australia, the UK and USA. Research is conflicting; many studies claim grandparents provide excessive amounts of discretionary foods (e.g. high in fat/sugar/sodium) while others suggest grandparents can positively influence children’s diet behaviours. The present study aimed to explore the meaning and role of food treats among grandparents who provide regular informal care of young grandchildren.Design:Qualitative methodology utilising a grounded theory approach. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and focus groups, then thematically analysed.Setting:Participants were recruited through libraries, churches and playgroups in South Australia.Participants:Grandparents (n 12) caring for grandchild/ren aged 1–5 years for 10 h/week or more.Results:Three themes emerged: (i) the functional role of treats (e.g. to reward good behaviour); (ii) grandparent role, responsibility and identity (e.g. the belief that grandparent and parent roles differ); and (iii) the rules regarding food treats (e.g. negotiating differences between own and parental rules). Grandparents favoured core-food over discretionary-food treats. They considered the risks (e.g. dental caries) and rewards (e.g. pleasure) of food treats and balanced their wishes with those of their grandchildren and parents.Conclusions:Food treats play an important role in the grandparent–grandchild relationship and are used judiciously by grandparents to differentiate their identity and relationship from parents and other family members. This research offers an alternative narrative to the dominant discourse regarding grandparents spoiling grandchildren with excessive amounts of discretionary foods. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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