Time for change? Food choices in the transition to cohabitation and parenthood

We compared the dietary behaviour of three different household types and explored developmental trends in food choices following a life event.

The study is based on data from three Swiss Food Panel survey periods. A cross-sectional comparison between household types was conducted by using a one-way independent ANOVA. Repeated measures were analysed with a mixed ANCOVA to examine changes in dietary behaviour following a life event.

Participants in the survey filled in a questionnaire in the years 2010, 2011 and 2012.

The final sample consisted of 3559 persons with a mean age of 56 years (range 22-94 years; 46 % men). Seventy-two people moved in with their partner and sixty-five people reported the birth of their first child.

Cross-sectional evidence confirmed that women living in households with a partner reported higher consumption frequencies for meat and processed meats compared with those living alone. Men living in cohabitation had a higher vegetable intake. The transitional effect of moving in with a partner, however, resulted in a higher intake of processed meats for both genders and a higher intake of pork and savoury items for men. Transition to motherhood was linked to an increase in vegetable consumption, while the transition to fatherhood did not change consumption patterns significantly.

Individuals in life-stage transitions are more likely to change their nutritional strategies and life events can be a window of opportunity for changes towards better food choices.