RESUMO
PURPOSE: To identify the influence of gender stereotypes on eating habits among Costa Rican adolescents. DESIGN: Qualitative, descriptive research was used in this study. SETTING: Adolescents and parents were recruited from socioeconomically diverse populations in rural and urban areas of San José, Costa Rica. SUBJECTS: Subjects were 92 adolescents (14 to 17 years old) and 48 parents. METHODS: Focus group data were transcribed and entered into the qualitative data analysis software Atlas.ti version 5.0. Analyses were grounded on the social cognitive theory. RESULTS: Five themes emerged from the focus group discussions: (1) Costa Rican adolescents associate the consumption of moderate quantities of healthy foods with femininity and male homosexuality. (2) The consumption of hearty portions of nonhealthy foods was associated with masculinity and male heterosexuality. (3) There is an emerging view that it is acceptable for heterosexual male adolescents to take care of their bodies through healthy eating. (4) Body care among female adolescents is an element of femininity and body image. (5) Parents reinforce their daughters' persistent concern with weight control because they perceive it as feminine behavior. CONCLUSION: Health promoters should be aware of the existing and changing food stereotypes around gender as an avenue for the promotion of healthy eating.
Assuntos
Imagem Corporal/psicologia , Comportamento Alimentar/psicologia , Identidade de Gênero , Homossexualidade Masculina/psicologia , Estereotipagem , Adolescente , Costa Rica , Feminino , Grupos Focais , Preferências Alimentares , Promoção da Saúde , Humanos , Masculino , Pais/psicologia , Pesquisa Qualitativa , População RuralRESUMO
PURPOSE: To explore the association between food insecurity and dietary intake among Mexican-American women after controlling for sociocultural and economic factors including participation in federal food assistance programs. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Three cities in Texas. SUBJECTS: Seven hundred seven Mexican-American women (26-44 years). MEASURES: Demographics, anthropometrics, acculturation, and food security status were obtained using validated measures. Dietary intake was assessed by a 24-hour dietary food record. ANALYSIS: Logistic regression was used to examine the association between individual and household characteristics on food security status. One-way analysis of covariance tested the association between food security status and dietary intake after adjusting for socio-demographic variables, acculturation, body mass index, participation in federal food assistance programs, and energy intake. RESULTS: About 77% of food-insecure women participated in at least one federal food assistance program. Each additional child in the household increased the odds of being food insecure by 25%. A higher proportion of obese women was found in the food-insecure group. No significant differences in dietary intake were found by food security status. CONCLUSION: Food insecurity did not negatively influence dietary intake independently of women's participation in federal food assistance programs. Food security did not ensure consumption of nutritionally adequate foods. Educational and food assistance programs need to be optimized to facilitate enrollment and improve the nutritional status of this ethnic group, food secure or not.