Women's perceptions about changes in food-related behaviours at home during COVID-19 pandemic in Chile

Abstract

Research indicates that history and early life events and trajectories influence women’s dietary behaviors. Yet, the social context in which recent life changes occur requires greater understanding, particularly regarding changes that embody the interconnectedness of women and their families, and how those changes affect women’s dietary decisions and behaviors. The data presented here were the product of eight focus groups that we conducted in one Maryland county in the fall of 2009. Our participants were 43 women with limited financial resources aged 40–64 years. In this analysis, we focused on women’s perceptions of the relation of recent life transitions and events to the dietary decisions they made for themselves and their families. Our findings suggested that transitions and events related to household structure, health status, phases of motherhood, and shifts in financial and employment status all had the potential to have profound and immediate effects on women’s dietary decisions and resulting dietary behaviors. We used the focus group data to consider implications for developing intervention strategies designed to improve self-efficacy and negotiation skills around dietary issues as a means of promoting healthy decision-making among women in midlife, particularly in times of familial upheaval and in circumstances where financial resources are limited.