The mediation roles of parental role-modeling and food availability in the socioeconomic inequalities of children’s diet

By Dr. Sanchari Sinha Dutta, Ph.D.Jun 2 2023Reviewed by Lily Ramsey, LLM

In a study published in BMC Public Health, scientists have explored how family socioeconomic status, home food availability, and parental role-modeling of healthy food consumption may influence children's diet quality. 

Study: Associations between socioeconomic status, home food availability, parental role-modeling, and children’s fruit and vegetable consumption: a mediation analysis. Image Credit: ggserban/Shutterstock.com

Background

Fruits and vegetables are integral parts of a healthy diet. Regularly consuming fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of cardiometabolic diseases, including diabetes and obesity.

Family socioeconomic status, defined by parental educational background and family income, is a well-documented determinant of children's fruit and vegetable consumption habits.

Studies conducted in high-income countries have shown that the high socioeconomic status of families is associated with the healthy dietary habits of children.

Available evidence suggests that parental role modeling and home food availability may have some influence on the association between socioeconomic status and children's diet.

Parents as strong role models for children can significantly influence the behaviors of their children. Thus, parents' inability to consume healthy foods due to poor socioeconomic status can potentially hinder the development of healthy dietary habits in their children.

Home food availability, or the presence of food at home, is another important determinant of children's diet. The presence of healthy fruits and vegetables and the absence of unhealthy sugary foods and drinks at home can effectively improve children's diet quality.

In the current study, scientists have explored whether there is any association between family socioeconomic status and children's fruit and vegetable consumption frequency. They have also assessed whether parental role-modeling of healthy (fruits and vegetables) and unhealthy (sugary foods and drinks) food consumption and home food availability may influence this possible association.

Study design

The study population included 574 Finnish children aged 3 – 6 years and their parents. The parents were asked to complete a Food Frequency Questionnaire to assess the frequency of children's consumption of fruits and vegetables and sugary foods and drinks outside preschool hours.

The family's socioeconomic status and home food availability were assessed through another questionnaire completed by the parents. Two indicators, including parental educational level and relative family income, were used to assess family socioeconomic status.

For parental role-modeling evaluation, parents completed a questionnaire assessing the frequency of consumption of fruits and vegetables and sugary foods and drinks by the parents when their children were around.

Important observations

Children's average frequency of consumption of fruits and vegetables was estimated to be 21 times per week. As reported by the parents, the average frequency of consumption of healthy (fruits and vegetables) and unhealthy (sugary foods and drinks) foods by them in front of their children were nine times/week and five times/week, respectively.

A weak association was observed between the higher educational background of parents and increased consumption of fruits and vegetables by children, home availability of fruits and vegetables, and parental role-modeling of fruit and vegetable consumption.

Higher relative income of the family also showed a weak association with increased availability of fruits and vegetables and sugary foods and drinks at home and more frequent parental role-modeling of fruit and vegetable consumption. 

Effect of parental educational background

A direct positive association was observed between higher parental educational background and home availability of healthy and unhealthy foods and parental role-modeling of fruits and vegetables consumption.

Children's consumption of fruits and vegetables also showed a direct positive association with higher availability of fruits and vegetables, lower availability of sugary foods and drinks, and higher parental role-modeling of fruit and vegetable consumption.

Indirect effects of parental role-modeling of fruits and vegetables consumption and availability of fruits and vegetables and sugary foods and drinks were observed on the association between parental educational background and children's consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Compared to parents with low educational backgrounds, parents with middle or high educational backgrounds reported more frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables in front of children, positively influencing children's consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Higher availability of fruits and vegetables was observed in households of parents with middle or high educational backgrounds, which positively influenced children's consumption of fruits and vegetables.

In households of parents with middle educational background, an association was observed between higher availability of sugary foods and drinks and less frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables by children.

Effect of relative family income

Higher relative family income showed a direct association with higher availability of healthy and unhealthy foods, more frequent parental role-modeling of fruits and vegetable consumption, and less frequent parental role-modeling of sugary foods and drinks.

Children's consumption of fruits and vegetables was observed in households with higher availability of fruits and vegetables, lower availability of sugary foods and drinks, and more frequent parental role-modeling of fruit and vegetable consumption.

Higher availability of fruits and vegetables was observed in families with middle or high relative income, which positively influenced children's consumption of fruits and vegetables.

In families with high relative income, more frequent parental role-modeling of fruits and vegetables consumption was observed, which in turn was associated with children's higher consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Considering all influencing factors, the analysis revealed that the association between parental educational background and children's consumption of fruits and vegetables was partially mediated by the availability of fruits and vegetables and sugary foods and drinks and parental role-modeling of fruits and vegetables consumption.

The association between relative family income and children's consumption of fruits and vegetables was fully mediated by the availability of fruits and vegetables and parental role-modeling of fruits and vegetables consumption.

Study significance

The study states that parental educational background positively influences children's consumption of fruits and vegetables more than relative family income.

Moreover, the study suggests that children's diet quality can be improved by increasing the availability of fruits and vegetables and reducing the availability of sugary foods and drinks.