Theses and Dissertations
This collection includes both ASU Theses and Dissertations, submitted by graduate students, and the Barrett, Honors College theses submitted by undergraduate students.
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- All Subjects: Nutrition
- Creators: Ayers, Stephanie
Description
Objectives. To determine how health-related conversations between parents and their adolescent children are associated with mealtime media device use by adolescents. Methods. A sample of Hispanic parents (n=344; 40.4 ± 6.6 years; 89.2% female) of 6th, 7th, or 8th-grade adolescents enrolled in a parenting intervention promoting healthy nutrition and substance use prevention. Parents completed baseline surveys to self-report the frequency with which they had health- or weight-related conversations with their adolescent child, and the frequency with which the adolescent used media devices during mealtimes (television/movie watching, cellphone use/texting, hand-held gaming devices, listening to music with headphones). Associations between health-related conversations and mealtime media devices were assessed with Spearman’s rank correlations. Chi-square tests and crosstabs were used to identify differences in parents setting limits on media use during mealtime depending on adolescent gender. Independent sample t-tests were used to compare the frequency of health- and weight-related conversations and media device use during mealtime based on adolescent gender. Results. Reported conversations about healthy eating, being physically active, and general weight of the adolescent were not associated with reported use of media devices by adolescents during mealtimes. Having conversations related to the adolescent weighing too much was positively and significantly correlated with television/movie watching (r=0.213; p<0.001), talking on a cellphone (r=0.119; p=0.034), using hand-held gaming devices (r=0.131; p=0.022), and listening to music with headphones (r=0.129; p=0.022). Having conversations about exercising to lose weight was also significantly correlated with television/movie watching during mealtimes (r=0.134; p=0.017). Parents reported having more frequent conversations about weighing too much with males when compared to adolescent females (2.45 ± 1.43 vs. 1.93 ± 1.28; t-stat= 3.58; p=0.005). Parents also reported more frequent weight-related conversations overall (weight-related scale) with males when compared to female adolescents (2.73 ± 1.39 vs 2.52 ± 1.26; t-stat=1.51; p=0.024). Conclusion. Findings suggest that higher frequency of weight-related conversation is associated with higher usage of media devices during mealtimes. Whether parenting practices, parental concerns about their children’s weight, and the home mealtime environment play a role on adolescent weight status in Hispanic households warrants further investigation.
ContributorsMartinez, Gabriela (Author) / Vega-Lopez, Sonia (Thesis advisor) / Bruening, Meg (Committee member) / Ayers, Stephanie (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
Objectives. This study primarily explored the relationship between family meal frequency and youth intake of fruits and vegetables (FV) and added sugar from sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in a population of Latinx parents and their middle school children. The study secondarily explored factors influencing family meal frequency; specifically, whether parent education level, income level, acculturation level, and food insecurity are associated with family meal frequency.
Methods. Latinx parents and their 6th-8th grade children were recruited from eligible middle schools in Maricopa County to participate in a larger intervention study. A sample of parent-youth dyads from the first cohort of the larger study was selected for cross-sectional analysis of baseline data in this study (n=124). Participants completed a survey requesting demographics, family meal habits, and dietary intake. Participants were asked to report annual income, education level, and number of family meals in the home in the past week. They were also asked to complete an Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans, a 6-item Household Food Security Questionnaire, and a 26-question Dietary Screener Questionnaire. Analyses were run using Spearman’s Rank Correlation test and a Chi Square test of Independence.
Results. Mean daily youth intake of FV was 2.7 ± 1.4 cup equivalents, and daily youth intake of sugars from SSBs was 8.6 ± 4.9 teaspoon equivalents per day. Fifty percent of parents reported 7 or more family meals per week, while 38.7% reported 3-6 family meals per week and 11.3% reported 2 or fewer family meals per week. There was no significant association between family meal frequency and youth FV (r=-0.154; p=0.256) or added sugar from SSBs (r=0.027; p=0.807) intake. Similarly, results from Chi Square analyses suggested there was no association between family meal frequency and parent income level (p=0.392), Mexican-oriented acculturation level (p=0.591), Anglo-oriented acculturation level (p=0.052) and food insecurity (p=0.754). In contrast, a significant association between parent education and family meal frequency was found (p=0.014).
Conclusions. Parent education may play a role in shaping family meal practices in Latinx families. More research is needed to further understand this relationship and the relationship between family meal habits and youth dietary intake.
Methods. Latinx parents and their 6th-8th grade children were recruited from eligible middle schools in Maricopa County to participate in a larger intervention study. A sample of parent-youth dyads from the first cohort of the larger study was selected for cross-sectional analysis of baseline data in this study (n=124). Participants completed a survey requesting demographics, family meal habits, and dietary intake. Participants were asked to report annual income, education level, and number of family meals in the home in the past week. They were also asked to complete an Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans, a 6-item Household Food Security Questionnaire, and a 26-question Dietary Screener Questionnaire. Analyses were run using Spearman’s Rank Correlation test and a Chi Square test of Independence.
Results. Mean daily youth intake of FV was 2.7 ± 1.4 cup equivalents, and daily youth intake of sugars from SSBs was 8.6 ± 4.9 teaspoon equivalents per day. Fifty percent of parents reported 7 or more family meals per week, while 38.7% reported 3-6 family meals per week and 11.3% reported 2 or fewer family meals per week. There was no significant association between family meal frequency and youth FV (r=-0.154; p=0.256) or added sugar from SSBs (r=0.027; p=0.807) intake. Similarly, results from Chi Square analyses suggested there was no association between family meal frequency and parent income level (p=0.392), Mexican-oriented acculturation level (p=0.591), Anglo-oriented acculturation level (p=0.052) and food insecurity (p=0.754). In contrast, a significant association between parent education and family meal frequency was found (p=0.014).
Conclusions. Parent education may play a role in shaping family meal practices in Latinx families. More research is needed to further understand this relationship and the relationship between family meal habits and youth dietary intake.
ContributorsMasek, Emily (Author) / Vega-Lopez, Sonia (Thesis advisor) / Bruening, Meredith (Committee member) / Ayers, Stephanie (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
Description
Objectives. To determine the association between parental level of acculturation using the Anglo Orientation Subscale (AOS) and the Mexican Orientation Subscale (MOS) derived from the Acculturating Rating Scale for Mexican Americans-II (ARSMA II) and their likelihood of serving green salad, vegetables, fruit, 100% fruit juice, and sugar-sweetened beverages during family meals. Methods. A sample of Hispanic parents of 6th, 7th, or 8th-grade adolescents (n=447; 39.8±6.8 years; 89.7% female) enrolled in a parenting intervention promoting healthy nutrition and substance use prevention. Parents completed baseline surveys to self-report whether they had family meals or not, acculturation-related questions, and the frequency with which they serve green salad, vegetables, fruit, 100% fruit juice, and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) during family meals. Associations between parental acculturation level and their likelihood of serving green salad, vegetables, fruit, 100% fruit juice and sugar-sweetened beverages during meal times were assessed with Spearman’s rank correlations. Results. There was a positive correlation between a higher level of acculturation on the Mexican Orientation Subscale (MOS) scale and the frequency of serving SSB during family meals (p=.006). There was a positive correlation between a higher level of acculturation on the Anglo Orientation Subscale (AOS) with the frequency of parents serving green salad (p=<.001), vegetables (p=<.001), and 100% fruit juice (p=.025) during family meals. Conclusion. Findings suggest that a higher Mexican orientation is associated with serving more sugar-sweetened beverages, and a higher Anglo orientation is associated with serving more green salad, vegetables, and 100% fruit juice to adolescents during family meals. Further research is needed to understand how the association of parental acculturation, home food environment, family meals, and socioeconomic status impact what they serve during family meals to their adolescents. A better understanding of what is served would help develop more evidence-based interventions that could help improve adolescents’ diet, which could help curb down obesity prevalence.
ContributorsOdell, Sandra P (Author) / Vega-Lopez, Sonia (Thesis advisor) / Ayers, Stephanie (Committee member) / Bruening, Meg (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023