The home food environment for children in Northern China

The importance of the home food environment to children's dietary health is increasingly being recognised. There is limited research, however, on its key components for children in China. This study aimed to explore the perspectives and perceptions of parents and their children, on the home food environment in Northern China. Children (6-11 years) and their parents were recruited in Beijing and Dongying (Shandong Province). Interviews were conducted with 30 parents and 28 children, focusing on foods in the home, feeding practices, family food rules and routines. Interviews were video-recorded, transcribed and translated, before data were analysed using an inductive thematic approach. The analysis provided four themes: parents' knowledge and understanding; children influencing food in the family home; home food practices and food rules; and grandparents' role in the family home. Parents played a pivotal role in family food provision, and children's preferences were central to food purchases. Parents discussed adopting various strategies for improving their children's dietary intake, including verbal encouragement, restricting and/or strictly controlling certain foods. Children's homework commitments could limit their helping with food preparation at home, and notably, grandparents made substantial contributions to the home food environment in many households. This study revealed important features of the home food environment for families in Northern China, included factors influencing home food purchasing and children's intake, as well as the roles that children, parents and grandparents can play in family food provision. Findings are valuable in informing the development of targeted interventions related to children's dietary health.