Lunchbox Preparation as a Social Practice and Its Impact on Children's Oral Health in Culturally Diverse Contexts

Poor oral health (dental decay) is a globally recognised concern, especially among refugee and immigrant children. Poor oral health is linked with children's unhealthy dietary intake and eating patterns. The objective of this study was to explore lunchbox preparation as a social practice and its interconnection with other social practices to understand its effect on children's dietary consumption and in turn on oral health.

Focused ethnography was utilised to enable an in-depth understanding of lunchbox preparation as a social practice and its elements: materials (physical objects), meanings (purpose) and competences (knowledge). Semi-structured interviews with 35 mothers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and five service providers, along with observations, were used for data collection. Data were analysed inductively and deductively through a social practice theory lens.

Lunchbox preparation was identified as a social practice shaped by interconnected practices of meal planning, food shopping and cooking. Meanings behind the contents of lunchboxes included children's preferences, emotional dynamics, ideals of responsible parenting not limited to nutrition. Competences in preparing convenient, easy and desirable meals were also noted. Inclusion of ready-to-eat discretionary foods (materials) was also reported.

Through a social practice lens, it was demonstrated how everyday decisions around the contents of lunchboxes are often driven by convenience, emotional needs and not by individual choices. This may contribute to increased consumption of retentive and sugary foods thus shaping dietary routines and eating patterns that have implications for children's oral health. The findings also highlight the need to view these food-related practices as socially embedded rather than purely individual or nutrition-driven.