Building a framework for theory-based ethnographies for studying intergenerational family food practices

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Sociology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Childhood obesity rates are rising globally, leading to serious health issues and increased healthcare costs.
• Existing interventions to promote healthy eating in families are often ineffective, particularly for lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Understanding the social and cultural factors influencing family food choices is crucial for effective obesity prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the cultural and social determinants of family food practices.
• To develop a framework for understanding food choices within families' cultural contexts.
• To inform the design of more effective, culturally sensitive obesity prevention interventions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a holistic ethnographic research approach.
• Developed a theoretical framework integrating Sen's capability approach and cultural schemas theory.
• Focused on understanding families' cultural backgrounds, capabilities, and opportunities influencing food decisions.

Main Results:

• Identified the need to move beyond simple decision-making theories to understand cultural embeddedness in food choices.
• Highlighted the importance of family-generated insights into their food selection processes.
• Established a foundation for ethnographic research to uncover drivers of family food choices.

Conclusions:

• Effective obesity prevention requires interventions sensitive to the cultural realities of families.
• A deeper understanding of families' lived experiences is necessary to improve healthy eating initiatives.
• The proposed framework offers a novel approach to studying and addressing family food practices in obesity prevention.