A qualitative investigation of body weight and weight loss-related attitudes of mothers and fathers in the context of fo
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
A qualitative investigation of body weight and weight loss‑related attitudes of mothers and fathers in the context of food insecurity Emily A. Taylor1,2 · Jaime S. Foster1,3 · Amy R. Mobley1,4 Received: 16 July 2019 / Accepted: 22 October 2019 © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019
Abstract Purpose To examine attitudes about body weight and weight loss among low-income parents of young children experiencing household food insecurity. Methods One-on-one interviews were conducted with 25 dyads of cohabitating low-income mothers and fathers who lived with their child aged 2.5–10 years old. Basic inductive analysis was conducted using NVivo to identify emerging themes related to body weight. Results Three main themes emerged including (1) weight loss as a “Blessing in Disguise,” (2) trouble with losing weight, and (3) the impact of compromised diet quality. Some differences existed in themes between mothers and fathers, but both placed value on weight loss resulting from food insecurity. Conclusion This research underscores the importance of sufficient nutrition assistance for limited resource families. A lack of money for food was a barrier towards maintaining a healthy weight but the value our culture places on weight loss even in times of despair was undeniably present. Level of evidence Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study. Keywords Food insecurity · Parents · Food supply · Poverty · Social stigma · Weight perception
Introduction Food security is defined as access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life [1]. In the United States, the U.S. Census Bureau monitors rates of food insecurity using the United States Department of Agriculture Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-019-00804-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * Amy R. Mobley [email protected] 1
Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut, 3624 Horsebarn Hill Road Extension, Unit 4017, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
2
Present Address: Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, MA, USA
3
Present Address: Connecticut Food Bank, Wallingford, CT, USA
4
Present Address: Department of Health Education and Behavior, University of Florida, P.O. Box 118210, Gainesville, FL 32611‑8210, USA
(USDA) Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM) [2]. In 2017, 11.8% of households in the U.S. were classified as food insecure [3]. Many individuals who suffer from food insecurity are overweight or obese, as evidenced by an increased prevalence of obesity in food insecure populations [4], although this relationship is inconsistent depending on the population [5], Specifically, gender differences may exist in experiences and reports of food insecurity [6–8], with women reporting higher levels of food insecurity [6, 7]. A correlation between food insecurity and obesity exists among women, but not significantly among men [5]. Diet quality, mental health, and physical activity levels [5, 9], s
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