Impact of Group Settings and Gender on Meals Purchased by College Students

This study examines the impact of social context and perception of weight on calories purchased by college students in a natural setting. Not only did women in mixed‐gender groups purchase fewer calories than did women in same‐gender groups, but significant interaction effects exist among the gender composition of groups, perception of being overweight, and gender of respondents. Men modified calories purchased across mixed‐gender and same‐gender groups, purchasing more when in mixed‐gender groups. The study helps address theoretical and methodological gaps in prior research and frames the findings in terms of variation of gender salience across social relational contexts.     

Going Beyond Frequency: A Qualitative Study to Explore New Dimensions for the Measurement of Family Meals

The majority of studies on family meals only assess frequency. We conducted a qualitative study of family meals with parent and child dyads to explore different dimensions of family meals, beyond frequency, that may be important protective factors for youth risk- and weight-related outcomes to examine in quantitative studies. Participants were 37 children aged 6–16 and their parent/guardian (74 participants in total). We conducted semi-structured and open-ended interviews with parents and children separately. Participants were recruited at pediatric/adolescent waiting rooms at an academic medical center in Boston, MA, as well as through flyers placed around Boston and online via CraigsList.org. The data were analyzed and compiled by first coding key phrases into themes and then including additional themes as they arose from the data. Themes related to three major topic areas emerged: feelings about family meals, meal rules and rituals, and communication during meals. Parents and children generally enjoyed family meals, and indicated that discussions of daily life, as well as more difficult conversations, took place during meals. Rules were set in place by parents but generally not reported as strict by children, and when allowed, the use of technology often hindered family communication during meals. Ultimately, this qualitative study provided an in-depth understanding of candidate dimensions that would be useful in quantitative studies to begin to disentangle the mechanisms associated with reductions in youth risk- and weight-related outcomes.