English 
Thai 
Abstract
Maintaining a balanced and healthy eating habit in early childhood is one of the key factors contributing to human health, growth, and development. Various contextual factors influence food choices during early childhood. To promote healthy eating behaviors among young children, it is essential to understand the factors that influence their food choices. Parents are widely recognized as a critical influence on children's eating behavior.
This study explored parental perspectives on food choices for children through two rounds of in-depth group interviews. A total of 44 parents (32 initial participants and 12 additional ones), all of whom had children aged 2 to 5 years, were recruited. These parents were low-income factory workers residing in rural areas of Hang Chat District, Lampang Province, Thailand. Participants were selected with the assistance of staff from child care centers (CCCs), based on clear eligibility criteria.
During the interviews, participants were provided with a list of potential influencing factors and were asked to identify the five most important factors influencing their children's food choices. Their responses were discussed in groups and recorded for later analysis.
The findings revealed that household income, children's food preferences, peer influence, food advertising/marketing, parents’ nutritional knowledge, and food availability in local markets or stores were perceived as the most influential factors. This study highlights a novel and important area for future research and may contribute to the development of parent-child intervention programs aimed at improving healthy eating behaviors in preschool-aged children.
Keywords
Parent perspective, food choice, early childhood
Author Jakkrit Wongrath Yupa Chanvekrai Nutthida Koonmai Piyawat Suthan
Methods: Qualitative Research
Journal Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine
Year: 2017 2566
For more infomation please click: https://mjphm.org/index.php/mjphm/article/view/1682
