Objective-To identify a comprehensive set of distinct "need states" based on the eating occasions experienced by midlife women.
Design-Series of 7 focus group interviews.
Setting-Meeting room on a university campus.Participants-A convenience sample of 34 multi-ethnic women (mean age = 46 years).Phenomenon of Interest-Descriptions of eating occasions by "need states" -specific patterns of needs for the occasion.Analysis-Interviews were audio taped, transcribed verbatim and analyzed for common themes using qualitative data analysis procedures.Findings-Eight need states suggested a hypothetical framework reflecting a wide range in emotional gratification. Need states with a low level of emotional gratification were dominated by sets of functional needs such as coping with stress, balancing intake across occasions, meeting external demands of time and effort and maintaining a routine. Food was a means for reinforcing family identity, social expression and celebration in need states with high levels of emotional gratification. Occurrence of need states varied by day and meal/snack occasion, with food type/ amount dependent on need state.Conclusions and Implications-Eating occasions are driven by specific sets of needs ranging from physical/functional to more emotional/social needs. Addressing need states may improve weight intervention programs for midlife women.
This study uses segmentation analyses to identify five distinct subgroups of U.S. midlife women (n = 200) based on their prevailing attitudes toward food and its preparation and consumption. Mean age of the women is 46 years and they are mostly White (86%), highly educated, and employed. Attitude segments (clusters of women sharing similar attitudes) are a significant predictor of obesity indicators. Mean body mass index and percentage of body fat are lower for the "concerned about nutrition" attitude segment compared with the "guiltridden dieter" and "impulsive eater" attitude segments. Mean waist circumference is highest in "impulsive eater" compared with the "concerned about nutrition" segment. Those in the "busy cooking avoider" segment have a significantly higher energy intake compared with women in other attitude segments. Tailoring a weight management intervention according to attitude segments of midlife women may enhance effectiveness.
The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine the relationship between type of eating occasion based on need state segments experienced by 200 midlife women (46 ± 6 years) and food group, nutrient, and energy intake. Women completed an Eating Occasion Questionnaire for 3 eating occasions over a 3-day period for which they maintained diet records. Cluster analysis segmented 559 eating occasions into six need states. Energy, total fat, and cholesterol consumption per occasion were highest in "routine family meal" occasions of which more than 60% were dinner and eaten at home with their children. The percentage of eating occasions in which fruits/vegetables were eaten was also highest in "routine family meal," followed by "healthy regimen." More than half of "indulgent escape" eating occasions occurred away from home and about one-third were experienced as a snack. Saturated fat and sweets intakes were the highest in the "indulgent escapes" occasions. Eating occasions experienced by women according to needs surrounding the occasion should be considered when developing tailored interventions to improve intake.
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