WIP 55 - Let's Talk About Food: Examining the Factors Influencing Food Purchase and Communication about Food in Families

Poster Number: WIP 55
Publication Number: WIP 55.922

Background: Pediatric primary health care providers can play an integral role in helping families make decisions about healthy food intake after food purchase. However, it may be idealistic to assume that families communicate with each other at home about foods to purchase to initiate healthier food consumption. Understanding the factors that influence food purchase and how families communicate at home can inform the development of interventions to improve the quality of food purchased and address barriers to purchase of healthy food.

Objective: To determine the factors influencing food purchase in families with children, ages 5-12 years, and determine the way that communication within families may influence food purchase.

Design/Methods: This study utilizes a mixed-methods approach, employing an online survey and interviews for a sub-set of the survey participants. IRB approval was obtained in January 2022. Eligible participants:1) resided in the U.S.; 2) were parent/guardian to a child aged 5-12 years; 3) were the primary food shopper in the household; and 4) could understand and speak English. Recruitment occurred in-person and via digital flier. Survey items included questions about food purchasing and potential influences such as price, familial preferences, and child requests. In addition, family communication pattern types were identified using the Revised Family Communication Patterns instrument. Families were stratified into four types including consensual, pluralistic, laissez faire, and protective based on scores from this instrument. Types were used to select a stratified sample of participants for the semi-structured interviews. Data collection was completed by October 2023. Logistic regression will be used to identify the factors most frequently influencing food purchase, and to determine if communication patterns can predict discussion of food behaviors. Qualitative analysis of the interview data will proceed via deductive and inductive thematic analysis. Analysis is in progress and expected to be complete by February 2024.