Food and nutrition information requirements of Australian primary school parents

Abstract

Objective: To explore what Australian primary school parents want to learn about food and nutrition to improve their children’s eating behaviours, as well as the associations between parents’ personal and demographic characteristics and their views regarding their food and nutrition knowledge needs. Design: An online nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2021 using a mixed-methods approach. Logistic regression analysis was utilised to examine the relationship between parents’ demographics, personal values and their views. Content analysis was performed using Leximancer. Setting: Australia. Participants: Seven hundred and eighty-seven parents. Results: Fifty-one per cent wanted to learn more about food and nutrition to improve their children's healthy eating habits, and 77% of those preferred schools to provide that information. Online/printed newsletters and YouTube were the most preferred methods for receiving food and nutrition related information. Higher universalism-concern value (concern for the welfare of those in the larger society and world) scores were positively associated parents’ preference for schools to provide food and nutrition-related information. Parents with non-English-speaking backgrounds and younger parents were more likely to want to learn about food and nutrition. Parents wanted to learn more about encouraging healthy eating, ideas for the lunchbox, food labels and age-specific portion sizes and recommendations. Conclusions: Findings can inform public health educators and assist them in designing future food and nutrition education programmes and resources targeting primary school parents.