Impact of mealtime social experiences on student consumption of meals at school: a qualitative analysis of caregiver perspectives
Abstract Objective: To understand caregivers’ perceptions about their children’s mealtime social experiences at school, and how they believe these social experiences impact their children’s consumption of meals at school (both meals brought from home and school meals). Design: Qualitative data w...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
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| Series: | Public Health Nutrition |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1368980024002349/type/journal_article |
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| author | Leah Elizabeth Chapman Wendi Gosliner Deborah A. Olarte Monica Daniela Zuercher Lorrene D. Ritchie Dania Orta-Aleman Marlene B. Schwartz Michele Polacsek Christina E. Hecht Kenneth Hecht Anisha I. Patel Punam Ohri-Vachaspati Margaret Read Juliana FW Cohen |
| author_facet | Leah Elizabeth Chapman Wendi Gosliner Deborah A. Olarte Monica Daniela Zuercher Lorrene D. Ritchie Dania Orta-Aleman Marlene B. Schwartz Michele Polacsek Christina E. Hecht Kenneth Hecht Anisha I. Patel Punam Ohri-Vachaspati Margaret Read Juliana FW Cohen |
| author_sort | Leah Elizabeth Chapman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Abstract
Objective:
To understand caregivers’ perceptions about their children’s mealtime social experiences at school, and how they believe these social experiences impact their children’s consumption of meals at school (both meals brought from home and school meals).
Design:
Qualitative data were originally collected as part of a larger mixed methods study using an embedded-QUAN dominant research design.
Setting:
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with United States (U.S.) caregivers over ZoomTM in English and Spanish during the 2021-2022 school year. The interview guide contained 14 questions on caregivers’ perceptions about their children’s experiences with school meals.
Participants:
Caregivers of students in elementary, middle, and high schools in rural, suburban, and urban communities in California (n=46) and Maine (n=20) were interviewed. Most (60.6%) were caregivers of children who were eligible for free or reduced-price meals.
Results:
Caregivers reported that an important benefit of eating meals at school is their child’s opportunity to socialize with their peers. Caregivers also stated that their child’s favorite aspect of school lunch is socializing with friends. However, some caregivers reported the cafeteria environment caused their children to feel anxious and not eat. Other caregivers reported that their children sometimes skipped lunch and chose to socialize with friends rather than wait in long lunch lines.
Conclusions:
Socializing during school meals is important to both caregivers and students. Policies such as increasing lunch period lengths and holding recess before lunch have been found to promote school meal consumption and could reinforce the positive social aspects of mealtime for students.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a46f34cd8af94abbaa1539d484d6ce0f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1368-9800 1475-2727 |
| language | English |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Public Health Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj-art-a46f34cd8af94abbaa1539d484d6ce0f2025-02-04T06:33:58ZengCambridge University PressPublic Health Nutrition1368-98001475-272712910.1017/S1368980024002349Impact of mealtime social experiences on student consumption of meals at school: a qualitative analysis of caregiver perspectivesLeah Elizabeth Chapman0Wendi Gosliner1Deborah A. Olarte2Monica Daniela Zuercher3Lorrene D. Ritchie4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8038-1821Dania Orta-Aleman5https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8581-8714Marlene B. Schwartz6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8939-1954Michele Polacsek7Christina E. Hecht8https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0426-0304Kenneth Hecht9Anisha I. Patel10Punam Ohri-Vachaspati11Margaret Read12Juliana FW Cohen13https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3145-6014Department of Public Health and Nutrition, Center for Health Inclusion, Research, and Practice, Merrimack College, 315 Turnpike St, North Andover, MA 01845, United States Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 655 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, United StatesDivision of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, 1111 Franklin St, Oakland, CA 94607, United StatesDepartment of Nutrition and Food Studies, New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, 35 West 4th Street, New York, NY 10003, United StatesDivision of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, 1111 Franklin St, Oakland, CA 94607, United StatesDivision of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, 1111 Franklin St, Oakland, CA 94607, United StatesDivision of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, 1111 Franklin St, Oakland, CA 94607, United StatesRudd Center for Food Policy and Health & Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Connecticut, One Constitution Plaza, Suite 600, Hartford, CT 06103, United StatesCenter for Excellence in Public Health, University of New England, 1075 Forest Avenue, Suite 123, Portland, ME 04103, United StatesDivision of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, 1111 Franklin St, Oakland, CA 94607, United StatesDivision of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, 1111 Franklin St, Oakland, CA 94607, United StatesStanford Pediatrics, Stanford University, 3351 El Camino Real, Suite 100, Atherton, CA 94027, United StatesCollege of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, 550 N 3rd St, Suite 501, Phoenix, AZ 85004, United StatesPartnership for a Healthier America, P.O. Box 1200, Prince Frederick, MD 20678, United StatesDepartment of Public Health and Nutrition, Center for Health Inclusion, Research, and Practice, Merrimack College, 315 Turnpike St, North Andover, MA 01845, United States Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 655 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, United States Abstract Objective: To understand caregivers’ perceptions about their children’s mealtime social experiences at school, and how they believe these social experiences impact their children’s consumption of meals at school (both meals brought from home and school meals). Design: Qualitative data were originally collected as part of a larger mixed methods study using an embedded-QUAN dominant research design. Setting: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with United States (U.S.) caregivers over ZoomTM in English and Spanish during the 2021-2022 school year. The interview guide contained 14 questions on caregivers’ perceptions about their children’s experiences with school meals. Participants: Caregivers of students in elementary, middle, and high schools in rural, suburban, and urban communities in California (n=46) and Maine (n=20) were interviewed. Most (60.6%) were caregivers of children who were eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Results: Caregivers reported that an important benefit of eating meals at school is their child’s opportunity to socialize with their peers. Caregivers also stated that their child’s favorite aspect of school lunch is socializing with friends. However, some caregivers reported the cafeteria environment caused their children to feel anxious and not eat. Other caregivers reported that their children sometimes skipped lunch and chose to socialize with friends rather than wait in long lunch lines. Conclusions: Socializing during school meals is important to both caregivers and students. Policies such as increasing lunch period lengths and holding recess before lunch have been found to promote school meal consumption and could reinforce the positive social aspects of mealtime for students. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1368980024002349/type/journal_articleschool mealssocializingsocial anxietyCOVID-19qualitative research |
| spellingShingle | Leah Elizabeth Chapman Wendi Gosliner Deborah A. Olarte Monica Daniela Zuercher Lorrene D. Ritchie Dania Orta-Aleman Marlene B. Schwartz Michele Polacsek Christina E. Hecht Kenneth Hecht Anisha I. Patel Punam Ohri-Vachaspati Margaret Read Juliana FW Cohen Impact of mealtime social experiences on student consumption of meals at school: a qualitative analysis of caregiver perspectives Public Health Nutrition school meals socializing social anxiety COVID-19 qualitative research |
| title | Impact of mealtime social experiences on student consumption of meals at school: a qualitative analysis of caregiver perspectives |
| title_full | Impact of mealtime social experiences on student consumption of meals at school: a qualitative analysis of caregiver perspectives |
| title_fullStr | Impact of mealtime social experiences on student consumption of meals at school: a qualitative analysis of caregiver perspectives |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of mealtime social experiences on student consumption of meals at school: a qualitative analysis of caregiver perspectives |
| title_short | Impact of mealtime social experiences on student consumption of meals at school: a qualitative analysis of caregiver perspectives |
| title_sort | impact of mealtime social experiences on student consumption of meals at school a qualitative analysis of caregiver perspectives |
| topic | school meals socializing social anxiety COVID-19 qualitative research |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1368980024002349/type/journal_article |
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