Impacts of Parental Food Choice Values on Children's Restaurant Eating Behavior Among Regular Restaurant Consumers With Low Income: A Latent Class Analysis

Abstract

Objective: To identify subgroups of parents' food choice value systems and evaluate associations with restaurant eating behaviors of children.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Participants: Parents with low income and children aged 2-11 years who were frequent restaurant visitors before the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic (n = 1,146).

Main outcome measure(s): Past week restaurant meals and the healthfulness of child meal orders.

Analysis: We used latent class analysis to identify patterns of stated food choice values (convenience, taste, cost, cooking, nutrition, locality, socialization, and food safety reputation) among parents. Logistic and linear regression models evaluated differences in child restaurant eating behaviors across classes.

Results: Three classes of parents' stated food choice values were identified: hassle-free, indulgent, and multifaceted consumers (7.94%, 54.97%, and 37.09% of parents, respectively). The children of the hassle-free consumers class were 91% less likely to select a healthy entree than an unhealthy entree and were even less likely to select a healthy entree than those of the indulgent and multifaceted consumer classes (P < 0.02). The multifaceted consumers class ate from restaurants the most in the last week (2.4 vs 2.1 and 1.9 times; P < 0.02).

Conclusions and implications: This subgroup approach could inform future restaurant interventions by tailoring to differences in parents' food choice values.

Keywords: children; food choice values; parents; restaurant meals.