Food assistance use barriers, facilitators, and recommendations: insights from a qualitative study of racially and ethnically diverse parents.

The objective of this study was to explore barriers and facilitators to utilising a range of food assistance resources as reported by parents living with or at risk for food insecurity (FI), as well as parents' recommendations for improving utilisation of these resources. Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews about parents' perspectives on interventions to address FI were analysed using a hybrid deductive/inductive thematic approach. Parents were drawn from the larger longitudinal cohort study ( = 1,307), which was recruited from primary care clinics in Minnesota.

Associations Between Neighborhood Racialized Economic Segregation with Cardiometabolic Health and Cortisol in a Racially/Ethnically Diverse Sample of Children from Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Introduction: Past research shows that structural racism contributes to disparities in cardiometabolic health among racially/ethnically minoritized populations.

Methods: This cross-sectional study examined the correlation between census tract-level racialized economic segregation and child health metrics among a racially and ethnically diverse cohort of 350 children (ages 6.5-13.

Community and household-level incarceration and its association with mental health in a racially/ethnically diverse sample of families.

This study examines the association between community incarceration rates, household incarceration, and the mental health of parents and children. Participant families had children ages 5-9 (n = 1307) from the African American, Latinx, Hmong, Somali/Ethiopian, Native American, and White communities in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. Linear mixed models were used to estimate associations between parent and child mental health, household incarceration exposure, and census tract race, ethnicity and gender-specific incarceration rates matched to the family's home address and race/ethnicity.

Best Practices and Recommendations for Research Using Virtual Real-Time Data Collection: Protocol for Virtual Data Collection Studies.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent need for social distancing required the immediate pivoting of research modalities. Research that had previously been conducted in person had to pivot to remote data collection. Researchers had to develop data collection protocols that could be conducted remotely with limited or no evidence to guide the process.

Momentary Factors and Study Characteristics Associated With Participant Burden and Protocol Adherence: Ecological Momentary Assessment.

Background: Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) has become a popular mobile health study design to understand the lived experiences of dynamic environments. The numerous study design choices available to EMA researchers, however, may quickly increase participant burden and could affect overall adherence, which could limit the usability of the collected data.

Objective: This study quantifies what study design, participant attributes, and momentary factors may affect self-reported burden and adherence.

Reported Intergenerational Transmission of Parent Weight Talk and Links with Child Health and Wellbeing.

Objectives: To examine if intergenerational transmission of parent weight talk occurs, the contextual factors prompting weight talk, and whether parent weight talk is associated with child weight, dietary intake, psychosocial outcomes, and food parenting practices.

Study Design: Children aged 5-9 years and their families (n = 1307) from 6 racial and ethnic groups (African-American, Hispanic, Hmong, Native American, Somali/Ethiopian, White) were recruited for a longitudinal cohort study through primary care clinics in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota from 2016 through 2019.

Longitudinal associations between family meal quality and quantity: Does one matter more for child, parent, and family health and well-being or are they synergistic?

It is unknown how family meal quantity (i.e., frequency) and quality (i.

Interpersonal Discrimination, Neighborhood Inequities, and Children's Body Mass Index: A Descriptive, Cross-Sectional Analysis.

Psychosocial stressors have been implicated in childhood obesity, but the role of racism-related stressors is less clear. This study explored associations between neighborhood inequities, discrimination/harassment, and child body mass index (BMI). Parents of children aged 5-9 years from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds (n = 1307), completed surveys of their child's exposure to discrimination/harassment.

Understanding Weight Talk in Racially/Ethnically Diverse Homes: A Qualitative Analysis With Parents.

Objective: To explore weight talk in the homes of racially/ethnically diverse immigrant/refugee children and their families.

Design: Qualitative interviews were conducted with parents of young children.

Setting: Twin Cities, Minnesota.

Real-time predictors of food parenting practices and child eating behaviors in racially/ethnically diverse families.

Background: Prior research has shown associations between controlling food parenting practices (e.g., pressure-to-eat, restriction) and factors that increase risk for cardiovascular disease in children (e.

Weight- and Health-focused Conversations in Racially/Ethnically Diverse Households With and Without a Child with Overweight/Obesity.

Studies indicate parent conversations focused on child weight, shape, or size are associated with unhealthy child weight and weight-related behaviors, whereas health-focused conversations are not. Little research has examined what these types of conversations sound like, how parents respond to them, and whether households with or without a child with overweight/obesity approach these conversations differently. This study used qualitative data to identify the weight- and health-focused conversations occurring in racially/ethnically diverse households.

Household food insecurity is associated with greater prevalence and 18-month incidence of a range of disordered eating behaviors in a racially and ethnically diverse sample of parents.

This study examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between household food insecurity (FI) and a range of disordered eating behaviors (DEBs) and explored whether associations differ by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)/Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) participation. Data came from 1120 racially/ethnically diverse parents (M = 35.7 ± 7.

A three-arm randomized controlled trial using ecological momentary intervention, community health workers, and video feedback at family meals to improve child cardiovascular health: the Family Matters study design.

Background: Numerous observational studies show associations between family meal frequency and markers of child cardiovascular health including healthful diet quality and lower weight status. Some studies also show the "quality" of family meals, including dietary quality of the food served and the interpersonal atmosphere during meals, is associated with markers of child cardiovascular health. Additionally, prior intervention research indicates that immediate feedback on health behaviors (e.

A Three-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial Using Ecological Momentary Intervention, Community Health Workers, and Video Feedback at Family Meals to Improve Child Cardiovascular Health: The Family Matters Study Design.

Numerous observational studies show associations between family meal frequency and markers of child cardiovascular health including healthful diet quality and lower weight status. Some studies also show the "quality" of family meals, including dietary quality of the food served and the interpersonal atmosphere during meals, is associated with markers of child cardiovascular health. Additionally, prior intervention research indicates that immediate feedback on health behaviors (e.

Associations Between Weight Talk and Biopsychosocial Outcomes in Children from Racially/Ethnically Diverse Households.

Weight talk in the home-parents talking to their children about their weight, shape or size-has been associated with many negative health outcomes in children and adolescents, although the majority of research has been with adolescents. This study explored associations between weight talk in the home and a broad range of child biopsychosocial outcomes (e.g.

Exploration of parent-reported family meal dinner characteristics to inform a definition of family meals.

Objective: To examine parent-reported key family meal characteristics to advance the conceptualization of how parents perceive family meals to inform public health interventions and clinical practice.

Design: Cross-sectional study design using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and online survey data from a racially and ethnically diverse population.

Participants: Parent/child dyads (N = 631) with children ages 5-9 years old from diverse, low-income households.

Potential Points of Intervention to Minimize the Impact of Parents' Adverse Childhood Experiences on Child Mental Health.

Objective: Children of parents who experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are at elevated risk for mental health (MH) issues. The goal of this study was to explore the relationships between parent ACEs and child MH and to identify potential mediators and points of psychosocial intervention.

Methods: Participants were 1307 children aged 5 to 9 years from diverse backgrounds and their primary caregivers.

A Mixed-Methods Description of the Home Physical Activity Environments of Racially/Ethnically Diverse and Immigrant/Refugee Children.

Disparities in childhood obesity prevalence by race/ethnicity remain high. Physical activity is an important factor to consider, however little is known about how physical activity resources in the home environment and neighborhood differ by race/ethnicity. This study examines the physical activity environments in the homes and neighborhoods of diverse households using both quantitative and qualitative data.

Intergenerational Pathways Between Parental Experiences of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Child Weight: Implications for Intervention.

Background/objective: Prior research suggests an association between parental experiencing of 1 or more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and increased risk for overweight/obesity in children. However, the pathways through which parental experiences of ACEs lead to child weight are unclear.

Methods: Participants were parent and child dyads from racially/ethnically diverse and low-income households in Minneapolis and St.

Impacts of COVID-19 on the home food environment and eating related behaviors of families with young children based on food security status.

This mixed-methods study endeavored to expand the current understanding of how early pandemic related disruptions impacted the home food environment and parent feeding practices of families with young children. Data for this study are taken from the Kids EAT! Study, a racially/ethnically diverse cohort of families with 2-5 year old children. Individual interviews were conducted by phone and video conference with mothers (n = 25) during August/September of 2020 and were coded using a hybrid deductive/inductive analysis approach.

Exploring the associations between neighbourhood food environment, household food insecurity and child weight-related outcomes in socio-economically and racially/ethnically diverse families.

Objective: To examine associations among neighbourhood food environments (NFE), household food insecurity (HFI) and child's weight-related outcomes in a racially/ethnically diverse sample of US-born and immigrant/refugee families.

Design: This cross-sectional, observational study involving individual and geographic-level data used multilevel models to estimate associations between neighbourhood food environment and child outcomes. Interactions between HFI and NFE were employed to determine whether HFI moderated the association between NFE and child outcomes and whether the associations differed for US-born .

Maternal employment and child weight-related health.

Several studies have documented a link between maternal employment and childhood obesity, but the mechanisms are not clear. This study investigated the association of maternal employment with children's weight status and detailed weight-related behaviors using data from Phase I of Family Matters, a cross-sectional, observational study of 150 children aged 5-8 from six racial/ethnic groups (White, Black, Latinx, Native American, Hmong, and Somali) and their families from the Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN metropolitan area recruited in 2015-2016.

Exploring associations between social determinants of health and mental health outcomes in families from socioeconomically and racially and ethnically diverse households.

This cross-sectional study investigated the associations between Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) and mental health outcomes of parents and children (n = 1307) from the Latinx, Native American, Somali/Ethiopian, White, Hmong, and African American communities. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the adjusted associations between five parent and child mental health measures and 25 measures of SDOH. False discovery rate q-values were computed to account for multiple comparisons.

Participant characteristics and dietary correlates of SNAP and other assistance programs among families with children from racially and ethnically diverse households.

The objective of this study was to describe food purchasing behaviors and the home food environment across families simultaneously receiving SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and other cash and food assistance benefits, and assess how child dietary intake varied across three distinct categories of assistance (i.e., SNAP and other assistance programs, assistance programs other than SNAP, and not enrolled in any assistance program).