Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Youngest versus oldest child: why does mothers' snack choice differ?

Femke W M Damen1, Bea L P A Steenbekkers1, Vincenzo Fogliano1

  • 1Food Quality and Design Group, Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 17, Wageningen, Netherlands.

Appetite
|September 16, 2019
PubMed
Summary

Mothers provide different snacks to their youngest and oldest children, often giving unhealthy options earlier to younger children. Reasons include role-modeling and sibling influence, impacting childhood nutrition.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Forged in iron: molecular insights into iron tolerance in Hermetia illucens.

NPJ science of food·2026
Same author

Exploring Consumers' Situational Snacking Behaviors Using a Mobile App: Longitudinal Cohort Study (FOODLOOP) Among Millennials in the Netherlands.

JMIR mHealth and uHealth·2026
Same author

From fiction to facts: on the safety, rules, perception, and role of food additives.

Critical reviews in food science and nutrition·2026
Same author

Microalgal protein-alginate cryogels for enhanced lyoprotection, gastrointestinal stability, and controlled release of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG.

Journal of controlled release : official journal of the Controlled Release Society·2026
Same author

Preface of the "17<sup>th</sup> International Weurman Flavor Research Symposium" Special Issue.

Journal of agricultural and food chemistry·2026
Same author

Space allowance and dietary fibre shape distinct adaptive proteomic responses in muscle and measurable effects on broiler meat quality.

Food chemistry·2026

Area of Science:

  • Child Nutrition
  • Maternal Health Behavior
  • Dietary Habits

Background:

  • Childhood overweight is linked to energy-dense snack consumption.
  • Mothers of firstborns may exhibit more health-conscious food behaviors.
  • Limited research explores specific snack choice differences and reasons between siblings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize differences in mothers' snack choices for their youngest (2-3 years) versus oldest child at the same age.
  • To identify the underlying reasons for these observed differences in snack provision.
  • To understand the role of siblings in shaping children's snack consumption patterns.

Main Methods:

  • Grounded theory approach for data collection and analysis.
  • Semi-structured interviews conducted with 17 Dutch mothers.
Keywords:
Birth orderChild dietary behaviorFamily structureFood choiceSiblingSnack foods

Related Experiment Videos

  • Focus on comparing snack choices for youngest and oldest children at comparable ages.

    • Main Results:

    • All mothers reported differences in snacks provided between their youngest and oldest children.
    • Youngest children received unhealthy snacks earlier, had more structured snack times, and fewer age-specific snacks.
    • Key reasons cited include parental role-modeling, first-born novelty, snack availability, and older child's school schedule.

    Conclusions:

    • Sibling dynamics and parental experience influence children's snack consumption.
    • Findings offer insights for developing interventions to improve children's dietary intake.
    • Understanding these differences can help promote healthier snacking habits in young children.