Objective: This study aimed to describe changes in families’ home food environment and parent feeding practices, from before to during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic, and examine whether changes differed by food security status.Methods: Parents (N = 584) in the US completed a single online survey, reporting on food security, home food availability, and feeding practices both retrospectively (considering before COVID‐19) and currently (during COVID‐19). χ² and univariate regressions examined associations by food security status.Results: The percent of families reporting very low food security increased by 20% from before to during COVID‐19 (P < 0.01). About one‐third of families increased the amount of high‐calorie snack foods, desserts/sweets, and fresh foods in their home; 47% increased nonperishable processed foods. Concern about child overweight increased during COVID‐19, with a greater increase for food‐insecure versus food‐secure parents (P < 0.01). Use of restriction, pressure to eat, and monitoring increased, with a greater increase in pressure to eat for parents with food insecurity compared with food‐secure parents (P < 0.05).Conclusions: During COVID‐19, increases in very low food security and changes in the home food environment and parent feeding practices were observed. Results highlight the need to address negative impacts of COVID‐19 on children’s obesity risk, particularly among those facing health disparities.

Latinxs have the highest prevalence of obesity in the United States, which can further contribute to the pervasive disparities in morbidity and mortality. Although the experience of discrimination is associated with obesity in racial/ethnic minorities, mediators and moderators of this association, specifically among Latinx emerging adults, have been understudied. The present study investigated an individual-level mediator (eating disorder symptoms) and cultural moderators (familismo support, ethnic identity affirmation) of the association between perceived discrimination and body mass index (BMI) among Latinx emerging adults. Secondary analysis was conducted using cross-sectional data obtained from 198 Latinx emerging adults (70% female, Mage = 20.59, SDage = 1.78). Participants who reported greater, as opposed to fewer, experiences of ethnic discrimination were likely to report more eating disorder symptoms, which in turn was associated with increased BMI. There was no evidence supporting familismo support or ethnic identity affirmation as moderators, suggesting that even those with high levels of familismo or ethnic identity were susceptible to the negative consequences of the experience of ethnic discrimination. Addressing health-compromising eating behaviors and attitudes among Latinx emerging adults might be one effective means to addressing the negative consequences of discrimination on weight-related outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Families enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) report persistent barriers to purchasing nutritious foods. This mixed-methods study explored SNAP users’ food and beverage purchasing patterns and perspectives regarding potential modifications to SNAP to inform the design of SNAP+, a healthy incentive program to increase fruit and vegetable (FV) and decrease sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) purchases. Participants were recruited through a non-profit organizational network to participate in an online survey. Survey measures included: SNAP usage patterns, meal/shopping patterns, and perceptions of potential changes to SNAP. A subset (N = 28) was invited to participate in an interview to further explore these domains. Frequencies were calculated to explore trends in quantitative data, with thematic analysis applied to qualitative data. Participants (N = 278) identified as female (81.0 %), head of household (90.8 %) and mothers (70.5 %), with most (66.5 %) using SNAP ≥ 1 year. Most spend >$15 of SNAP (87.1 %) and >$15 of non-SNAP (60.8 %) dollars on FVs/month. Respondents spend <$5 of SNAP (34.2 %) and non-SNAP (47.5 %) dollars on SSBs/month. Factors shaping purchasing behaviors included: cost (71.6 %), health (80.2 %) and avoiding waste (73.0 %). Inflation and existing purchasing patterns motivated interest in potentially enrolling in SNAP +. Diminished autonomy and a need to reallocate other funds to purchase SSBs were identified as enrollment deterrents. SNAP users were generally receptive to modifications that would pair FV incentives with SSB restrictions, yet strategies to maintain autonomy are needed. Results can inform the design of SNAP + to enhance its potential as strategy to positively shape dietary intake patterns.

Racial disparities in obesity incidence exist among emerging adults—with Black Americans at the highest risk. Emerging adulthood is characterized by behavioral exploration and identity formation, yet few studies have examined how relevant identities (i.e., racial identity) may inform dietary behaviors of Black emerging adults. According to identity-based motivation, people are motivated to act in identity-congruent ways, which are informed by one’s culture (i.e., cultural congruence). This study examined the relationship between perceptions of healthy eating as (in)congruent with Black culture and healthy eating intentions, and the moderating role of racial identity (centrality and nationalist ideology) among 118 Black college students (68.6% female, age M = 19.52, SD = 2.02) in the Southeast US. While no evidence supports the direct effects of cultural (in)congruence on healthy eating intentions, it did interact with nationalist ideology. Contrary to our hypothesis, those with stronger nationalist ideology reported greater healthy eating intentions when healthy eating was perceived as incongruent with Black culture ( β = 7.71, p = .01). Implications for scholarship and clinical practice are discussed.

Background/Objectives: Nutrient-poor diet quality is a major driver of the global burden of metabolic syndrome (MetS). The US ranks among the lowest in diet quality and has the highest rate of immigration, which may present unique challenges for non-US-native populations who experience changes in access to health-promoting resources. This study examined associations among MetS, nativity status, diet quality, and interaction effects of race–ethnicity among Hispanic, Asian, Black, and White US-native and non-US-native adults. Methods: We examined data from 5482 adult participants (≥20 years of age) in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013–2018). MetS (per the ATP III panel guidelines) was assessed continuously (MetS z-score) and dichotomously. Dietary recalls were used to compute HEI-2015 scores. Nativity status and sociodemographic variables were assessed. Age-adjusted and multivariate-adjusted logistic regressions were conducted to examine the associations between nativity status and MetS and interaction effects by race–ethnicity. Results: Non-US-native participants displayed more guideline-adherent diet quality (55.23% vs. 49.38%, p < 0.001) compared to their US-native counterparts—even when stratified by racial–ethnic groups. US-native participants had larger waist circumferences and elevated triglyceride levels. Non-US-native Black Americans had a 60% lower risk of having MetS even after adjusting for diet quality (OR: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.17, 0.88) compared to their US-native counterparts. For MetS components, non-US-native Asian participants reported a lower risk for dyslipidemia, while non-US-native multiracial participants had higher triglycerides. Conclusions: Non-US-native groups display better diet quality compared to their US-native counterparts. However, the findings suggest that diet quality alone does not account for nativity-related cardiometabolic disparities, particularly in US-native Black Americans, thus necessitating interventions targeting the social determinants of health.

Introduction: Family cancer history (FCH) provides insight into cancer risk and can guide prevention efforts. Black Americans experience high cancer burden and report several barriers to FCH knowledge due to family communication challenges. Few studies have examined family-level factors that impact FCH communication in Black Americans. This study employed a qualitative design to examine the family communication environments of those who communicated more (i.e., disseminators) versus less or no change (i.e., non-disseminators) about FCH, within the last year. Methods: This is a secondary data analysis of a larger study that implemented a community education program on how to calculate cancer risk from family history (i.e., Families SHARE). Black Americans (N = 39) participated in community education workshops (N = 12) and discussed family communication environments. A codebook was developed a priori and revised iteratively using a consensus approach. Dedoose qualitative software supported establishing inter-rater reliability (Cohen’s kappa = 0.83) and thematic analysis. Participants received USD 50 for workshop completion. Results: Pre-workshop disseminators (n = 14) and non-disseminators (n = 25) averaged 59 years of age, were 50% female, and earned <USD 20,000 per year. Norms related to age, sex, and privacy shaped family communication environments for both groups. Disseminators were marked by stronger relational quality and frequent contact, whereas non-disseminators indicated poorer relational quality and limited information flow throughout the family. Conclusion: Theory-driven approaches that address the nuanced family communication environments of black Americans may optimize FCH communication of disseminators and non-disseminators.