Getting the message right for tweens and their parents! Qualitative methods to inform development of strategies to communicate healthy eating messages

Eating behaviors of tweens (children aged 9-12 years) are influenced by the home food environment (HFE). To understand the HFE, in-home kitchen inventories and in-depth interviews were conducted with female primary food preparers in households with at least one tween. The purpose of this study was to inform development of health communication strategies promoting health eating behaviors among tweens. Participants were recruited from a market research database and screened on food purchasing and preparation behaviors and other screening criteria. Based on responses, women were classified as Doers, those primarily cooking with whole foods and Non-Doers, those primarily using prepared foods. Both groups had similar demographic characteristics. We compared Doers and Non-Doers to determine potential motivators/barriers to making healthy foods accessible to tweens. Trained interviewers collected data in households in two US cities. Inventory data were collected for food storage and preparation areas. Among Doer and Non-Doer, availability of high-sugar breakfast foods and high-fat snack foods were surprisingly similar. Doer households did not allow access to sugar-sweetened beverages. Both segments recognized their influence in creating healthy eating environments for their children; however Non-Doer households allowed children more decision making power around food than Doer households. The HFE approach with a small sample and modest expenditure complements traditional focus groups by providing more in-depth information about the audience. This data will be used to inform subsequent focus groups and development of targeted communication messages related to healthy eating for tweens.