Within the home environment, parents influence their children’s dietary intakes through their parenting and dietary practices, and the foods they make available/accessible. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the associations between home environmental characteristics and children’s dietary intakes. Three hundred and thirty-two children aged three–five years and their parents participated in the study. Home environmental characteristics, including parental control feeding practices, were explored using validated and standardized questionnaires such as the Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ), the Physical and Nutritional Home Environment Inventory (PNHEI) and the Healthy Home Survey (HHS). Parent and child food consumption was also measured. Pressure to eat from parents was associated with lower fruit intake in children (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.47–0.96, p = 0.032). Greater variety of fruit available in the home increased the likelihood of fruit consumption in children (OR 1.35 95% CI 1.09–1.68, p = 0.005). Watching television for ≥1 h per day was associated with a decreased probability of children eating vegetables daily (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.20–0.72, p = 0.003) and doubled their likelihood of consuming confectionary/sugar-sweetened beverages more than once weekly (OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.06–4.38, p = 0.034). Children whose parents had lower vegetable consumption were 59% less likely to eat vegetables daily. This study demonstrates that modifiable home environmental characteristics are significantly associated with children’s dietary intakes.

In Ireland, television (TV) screen time is a highly prevalent sedentary behavior among children aged less than five years. Little is known about the influence of parental rules and policies or screen time availability and accessibility within the home on children’s TV screen time behaviors. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the extent to which parents’ sociodemographic and sedentary behaviors are associated with children’s TV screen time; and to determine the associations between parents’ rules and practices, home physical environment and children’s daily TV viewing. Three hundred and thirty-two children aged 3–5 years and their parents participated in the study. Children’s TV screen time and home environmental characteristics (parents’ rules and practices and the physical environment) were assessed using questions from standardized and validated questionnaires. The data were analyzed using binary logistic regression. Within the different sedentary behaviors evaluated, parents’ TV viewing was positively associated with children’s TV screen time (OR 1.65, 95%CI 1.09–2.50, p = 0.018). Leaving the TV on, whether or not it was being watched, was associated with a 38% increased probability of children watching ≥ 1 h TV daily. Children whose parents restricted their outdoor activity were more likely to watch ≥ 1 h TV daily (OR 2.01, 95%CI 1.04–3.88, p = 0.036). Findings from the study demonstrated that parents’ own screen time behaviors, leaving the TV on whether it was being watched or not and restricting outdoor play were associated with higher children’s TV viewing in the home environment. This knowledge is essential to inform future interventions aimed to address the increase in screen time among young children.

Parental perceptions and use of neighborhood facilities are important factors that are related to children’s dietary intake and physical activity. The aim of this study was to examine the association between neighborhood deprivation index, parents’ perceptions of their neighborhood environment, and healthy/unhealthy markers of child dietary intake, physical activity, and TV screen time. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Dublin, Ireland. The lifestyle behaviors among children and parental perceptions of their neighborhood environment were reported by the parents of 276 children aged 3–5 years by using parent-completed questionnaires. Deprivation index was assessed using the geographic information system (GIS). Data were analyzed using binary logistic regression, adjusting for socio-demographic confounders. In adjusted models, high deprivation index was associated with parental perception of the neighborhood as unsafe for walking and cycling due to crime (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.04–2.43, p = 0.031) and children’s low engagement in structured physical activity (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.17–0.72, p = 0.004). Parental perceptions of an unsafe neighborhood due to heavy traffic were negatively correlated with children’s active play (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.55–0.95, p = 0.022). Children whose parents reported high satisfaction with the number of local sit-in and takeaway restaurants were 41% more likely to consume confectionary/sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) weekly. In this age group, parents play an important role in children’s lifestyle behaviors; therefore, a better understanding of parents’ perceptions and their use of neighborhood facilities could contribute to creating a healthy environment for this age group.

It is well accepted that the preferred place of care for many people is in their own homes and that home care services have the potential to allow people to remain in their own homes for as long as possible. This narrative review aimed to summarize the existing literature on person-centered practices in home care and develop a conceptual framework, based on The Health Information and Quality Authority’s (HIQA) standards development principles, to achieve high-quality person-centered home care. A narrative review was conducted using the academic databases Embase, APA PsychInfo, Social Services Abstracts and CINAH. A qualitative content analysis was used to analyze and synthesize the findings. In total 39 studies were included in this narrative review. This review emphasizes four key principles for person-centered home care. A human-rights based approach ensures care is delivered with dignity, respect, and non-discrimination, guaranteeing equitable access for all. The safety and wellbeing principle focuses on preventing health decline and harm, while promoting the overall well-being of the care recipient. Responsiveness centers on how staff identify and address individual needs, with their skills and competencies playing a crucial role. Finally, the accountability principle underlines the importance of strong leadership, clear governance, and effective collaboration between home care and other services. The approach of using principles as a framework to underpin this study can inform policymakers, home care providers and others in good practice in upholding person-centered care during the development of home care policy and care delivery.