Maternal Feeding Goals and Restaurant Menu Choices for Young Children

Background: Childhood obesity remains a major public health issue. One recent effort to improve the obesogenic environment is mandating that restaurants provide calorie and other nutritional content on menus. Little is known about whether maternal feeding for young children is influenced by calorie disclosure on menus. This study examined (1) whether maternal feeding goals associate with mothers' food selections for their young children and (2) whether mothers change entrée and side selections for their children when calories/fat grams are listed on menus. Methods: One-hundred seventy mothers of children ages of 3?6 years participated in an online survey. Most participants identified as white (76.5%), with a mean BMI of 25.68 (standard deviation=5.94). Mothers were presented two menus (one with and one without calorie/fat information). Results: The goal of feeding for the child's familiarity with the food was significantly associated with mothers' selection of original side dish and entrées, with greater endorsement of this goal associated with choosing high-calorie/-fat sides and entrées. Feeding for natural content was associated with mothers' selection of original entrée, with greater endorsement of this goal associated with choosing low-calorie/-fat entrées. Significantly fewer mothers chose a higher-calorie entrée when there was menu labeling. Conclusions: Maternal feeding goals are associated with mothers' selection of entrée and side dishes on restaurant menus. Results from this study suggest that menu labeling of calories and fat grams may influence entrée choices by mothers. Targeting mothers' feeding goals and labeling restaurant menus may improve the diets of young children.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140340/1/chi.2015.0014.pd

The Benefits and Trajectory of Airbrushing-Based Media Literacy Among Girls

This dissertation assessed the body image and digital manipulation (airbrushing) knowledge of four age groups (i.e., 3rd grade, 7th grade, 11th grade, and college students). It was found that girls begin to learn about the airbrushing process around 7th grade (12-13 years old), but they do not begin to use this knowledge to protect themselves against airbrushed images until they are older adolescents. Also examined was the effect that seeing airbrushed images had on girls in the different age groups and what individual personality differences played a role in how much children, adolescents, and women were affected by the thin-idealized images. Body image was assessed pre and post exposure to two sets of thin-idealized images. A short media literacy reflection task was completed during the second exposure. College student body image decreased after exposure to thin-idealized images with and without the media literacy reflection task. However, body image decreased significantly less when the media literacy reflection task was employed. This demonstrates the ability of this age group to use the airbrushing knowledge they have to protect themselves against idealized images, but only when instructed to do so. While the younger samples did not show a decrease in body image post media exposure, child body image was negatively related to BMI and internalization of the thin-ideal. These two main individual difference variables were found to contribute the most to both lower body image and worse body image change after media exposure

The Benefits and Trajectory of Airbrushing-Based Media Literacy Among Girls

This dissertation assessed the body image and digital manipulation (airbrushing) knowledge of four age groups (i.e., 3rd grade, 7th grade, 11th grade, and college students). It was found that girls begin to learn about the airbrushing process around 7th grade (12-13 years old), but they do not begin to use this knowledge to protect themselves against airbrushed images until they are older adolescents. Also examined was the effect that seeing airbrushed images had on girls in the different age groups and what individual personality differences played a role in how much children, adolescents, and women were affected by the thin-idealized images. Body image was assessed pre and post exposure to two sets of thin-idealized images. A short media literacy reflection task was completed during the second exposure. College student body image decreased after exposure to thin-idealized images with and without the media literacy reflection task. However, body image decreased significantly less when the media literacy reflection task was employed. This demonstrates the ability of this age group to use the airbrushing knowledge they have to protect themselves against idealized images, but only when instructed to do so. While the younger samples did not show a decrease in body image post media exposure, child body image was negatively related to BMI and internalization of the thin-ideal. These two main individual difference variables were found to contribute the most to both lower body image and worse body image change after media exposure

Feeding in the Digital Age: An Observational Analysis of Mobile Device Use during Family Meals at Fast Food Restaurants in Italy

Caregiver mobile phone use while monitoring children is a behavior of increasing prevalence. Family mealtimes have long been considered a time in which parents and children connect emotionally and model eating behaviors, but prior studies have documented less parent-child conversation and more negative parent reactions to child behavioral bids at the table during parent phone use. Research on this topic to date is sparse and focuses only on US populations. The current study used non-participant naturalistic observation to record data on parental mealtime device use and family interactions while dining with children in a fast food restaurant in Italy. Thirty seven families (individuals observed = 129) were observed at a restaurant for the duration of their meal. Qualitative analysis of field notes indicated that mobile phones are frequently used by caregivers during feeding interactions. A novel observation in the current study was different patterns of use by parent gender and age. Mothers appeared to divide their attention between phone and child, whereas fathers evidenced more continuous mobile phone use during which there was lower responsiveness towards children during the meal. Younger parents more frequently used mobile phones, compared to older parents. Parents who missed child bids for attention were all phone users during the mealtime