Influence of grandparents on eating behaviors of young children in Chinese three-generation families

AimTo investigate how grandparents influence their young grandchildren's eating behaviors in Chinese three-generation families.MethodsThis qualitative study used semi-structured in-depth interviews with 12 parents (3 male and 9 female) and 11 grandparents (4 male and 7 female) in Beijing, China.ResultsThree domains emerged in this study: (1) grandparents were the primary caretakers of children in the three-generation families. They played an important role in planning and cooking family meals; (2) grandparents’ attitudes influenced young children's nutrition and eating habits. They held the belief that children being heavy at a young age would assure that they had a good nutrition status and would become tall in the future. They showed a tendency towards urging the children to eat more meals and larger portions at served meals; (3) grandparents used food as an educational and emotional tool. They shaped the behavior of their grandchildren and expressed love and caring through food.ConclusionsGrandparents were dominant in shaping children's eating behavior in some three-generation families in Chinese urban areas. Nutrition education involving grandparents is a potential framework for developing a healthy dietary behavior in young children.