Socioeconomic inequalities in children’s diet: the role of the home food environment

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  • Ranjit, Nalini
    • Other Affiliation: Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, The University of Texas School of Public Health Austin Regional Campus, 1616 Guadalupe St., Austin, TX 78701, USA
  • Wilkinson, Anna V
    • Other Affiliation: Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, The University of Texas School of Public Health Austin Regional Campus, 1616 Guadalupe St., Austin, TX 78701, USA
  • Lytle, Leslie
    • Affiliation: Gillings School of Global Public Health
  • Evans, Alexandra E
    • Other Affiliation: Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, The University of Texas School of Public Health Austin Regional Campus, 1616 Guadalupe St., Austin, TX 78701, USA
  • Saxton, Debra
    • Other Affiliation: Texas Department of State Health Services, Division for Family and Community Health Services, PO Box 149347, Austin, TX 78714-9347, USA
  • Hoelscher, Deanna M
    • Other Affiliation: Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, The University of Texas School of Public Health Austin Regional Campus, 1616 Guadalupe St., Austin, TX 78701, USA
Abstract
  • Abstract Background It is well documented in the literature that low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with lower consumption of healthy foods and that these differences in consumption patterns are influenced by neighborhood food environments. Less understood is the role that SES differences in physical and social aspects of the home food environment play in consumption patterns. Methods Using data on 4th grade children from the 2009–2011 Texas School Physical Activity and Nutrition (SPAN) study, we used mixed-effects regression models to test the magnitude of differences in the SPAN Health Eating Index (SHEI) by parental education as an indicator of SES, and the extent to which adjusting for measures of the home food environment, and measures of the neighborhood environment accounted for these SES differences. Results Small but significant differences in children’s SHEI by SES strata exist (-1.33 between highest and lowest SES categories, p<0.01). However, incorporating home food environment and neighborhood environment measures in this model eliminates these differences (-0.7, p=0.145). Home food environment explains a greater portion of the difference. Both social (mealtime structure) and physical aspects (food availability) of the home food environment are strongly associated with consumption of healthy and unhealthy foods. Conclusions Our findings suggest that modifiable parent behaviors at home can improve children’s eating habits and that the neighborhood may impact diet in ways other than through access to healthy food.
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  • Article
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  • In Copyright
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  • Ranjit et al.
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  • English
Bibliographic citation
  • International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2015 Jul 27;12(Suppl 1):S4
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  • BioMed Central

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