Habits at home: How the home food environment shapes caregivers' eating habits

Seventy percent of caloric intake comes from foods prepared at home, suggesting it is a powerful influence on food consumption. Consistent environmental cues triggering food consumption, including those in the home food environment (HFE), may promote habit formation. Despite the HFE's influence, there is a limited understanding of the association between the HFE and habits for consuming specific dietary items. This study examines the relationships between HFE and habit strength.

This secondary analysis leverages data from a maternal-child obesity intervention trial (HABITS) to examine the relationships between the availability of fruits, vegetables, fried foods, and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) in the home and the habit strength of consuming these items. Caregivers (N = 148) completed HFE, habit strength, and demographic questionnaires at baseline. Majority of caregivers identified as female (99.3 %), Black or African American (76.4 %), and had an annual income < $30,000. Multiple linear regression models assessed the relationships between the availability of foods in the home and habit strength for consuming those items.

The total number of fruits and vegetables in the HFE was associated with habit strength for fruit (β = .216, p = .009) and vegetable intake (β = .179, p = .030). Similarly, fried food items at home were associated with fried food habit score (β1 = 0.269, p = .028). SSB in the HFE did not predict habit strength for SSB consumption (β1 = 0.187, p = .184).

Our research suggests that available food items in the home were significantly associated with habit strength for consuming those items. These results support public health initiatives to identify practical approaches to improving health behaviors within households.