The aim of this study was to investigate the social and environmental factors involved in the food decision-making processes of families living on lower incomes on the Island of Ireland.

A qualitative design was employed for this study, using photovoice and creative mapping methods. Parents were requested to take photos and draw maps of their food environments. Interviews were then conducted with parents, using the materials produced by parents as a cue to discuss their food environments, influences and decision-making processes around food choices.

The participants were interviewed online via Microsoft Teams.

The participants were parents or guardians of children between the ages of 2 and 18 who self-defined as ‘living on a tight budget’.

Twenty-eight participants were recruited and interviewed for this study, including twelve parents in Northern Ireland and sixteen in the Republic of Ireland. The findings were mapped on to Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and showed that multiple, overlapping and intersecting factors at the individual, micro-, meso-, exo-, macro- and chrono-system were implicated in family food choices. Upstream factors in particular, including structural, policy and commercial determinants, appear to be significant drivers of behaviour.

While the findings suggest that a complex range of factors are involved in family food choices, it is clear that policy measures and regulations are needed to stave off the impacts of rising social inequality and food poverty. Health promoters should strive to find non-stigmatising interventions to bridge the nutritional divide experienced by lower-income families.

To examine changes in the proportions of daily, weekly and occasional consumers of sugar-sweetened soda in six European countries that introduced/updated a tax between 2001–2002 and 2017–2018 and in neighbouring comparison countries (without a tax).

Repeated cross-sectional surveys.

Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study, spanning five survey years (school years 2001–2002 to 2017–2018).

Nationally representative samples of 13-year- and 15-year-old adolescents (n 236 623, 51·0 % girls).

Tax sizes (€0·02/l to €0·22/l) and pre-tax soda consumption were heterogeneous across countries. Prevalence of daily soda consumption reduced in the survey year following tax implementation in Latvia (from 17·9 to 11·9 %, P = 0·01), Finland (4·2 to 2·5 %, P = 0·001), Belgium (35·1 to 27·8 %, P < 0·001) and Portugal (17·4 to 14·9 %, P = 0·02), but not in Hungary (29·8 to 31·3 %, P = 0·47) or France (29·4 to 28·2 %, P = 0·27). However, reductions were similar (Finland) or smaller (Belgium, Portugal) than those in the comparison countries, except in Latvia where the reduction was larger (Pinteraction < 0·001). Prevalence of weekly soda consumption remained stable (Finland, Hungary and France) or increased (Latvia, Belgium); only Portugal experienced a decline (P < 0·001), which was larger than in the comparison country (Pinteraction < 0·001). Prevalence of occasional soda consumption (<1x/week) did not rise after implementation of the tax in Latvia, Finland, Hungary, France or Belgium, or the rise was similar to the comparison country in Portugal (Pinteraction = 0·15).

Countries with a soda tax did not experience larger beneficial changes in post-tax adolescent consumption frequency of soda than comparison countries. Further studies, with different taxation types, are needed in the adolescent population.

This study aims to (1) investigate current practice regarding ‘weaning workshops’ to support complementary infant feeding delivered within Irish primary care, (2) explore the experiences and opinions of community dietitians regarding optimal content and modes of delivery of weaning workshops and (3) identify the key factors to be considered in the development and implementation of weaning workshops delivered within primary care.

Cross-sectional survey.

Irish primary care.

Forty-seven community-based dietitians.

Sixteen dietitians reported that workshops were run in their area with variable frequency, with ten reporting that workshops were never run in their area. Participants reported that mostly mothers of medium socio-economic status (SES) attended weaning workshops when infants were aged between 4 and 7 months, and that feedback from workshop attendees was predominantly positive. Dietitians identified that key factors to be considered in future development and delivery of weaning workshops are (1) workshop characteristics such as content, timing and venue, (2) organisational characteristics such as availability of resources and multidisciplinary involvement and (3) attendee characteristics such as SES.

This study highlights substantial variability regarding provision of weaning workshops in Ireland, and a lack of standardisation regarding the provider, content and frequency of workshops where workshops are being delivered. The study also provides unique insights into the experiences and opinions of primary care community dietitians regarding the development and delivery of weaning workshops in terms of optimal content and delivery options. These perspectives will make a valuable contribution given the dearth of evidence in this area internationally.

To investigate weight concerns among adolescent boys and relationships with health indicators and family factors.

Analysis of the 2010 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey of 10–17-year-olds.

Schools in the Republic of Ireland.

Among 6187 boys, 25·1 % reported a desire to lose weight (weight ‘loss’ concern) and 7·7 % reported a desire to gain weight (weight ‘gain’ concern). Both types of weight concerns were associated with poor self-rated health, life satisfaction and happiness, and with more frequent emotional and physical symptoms. Family factors were associated with boys’ weight concerns. In adjusted analyses, the risk of weight ‘loss’ concerns decreased with daily family breakfasts (OR=0·80; 95 % CI 0·66, 0·97). The risk of weight ‘gain’ concerns decreased with frequent family evening meals (OR=0·77; 95 % CI 0·60, 0·99). Ease of communication with mother was associated with a decreased risk of weight ‘loss’ and weight ‘gain’ concerns among boys (OR=0·74; 95 % CI 0·60, 0·90 and OR=0·61; 95 % CI 0·44, 0·82, respectively). An open father–son relationship and having a father present in the home decreased the risk of weight ‘loss’ concerns (OR=0·69; 95 % CI 0·57, 0·82 and OR=0·81; 95 % CI 0·67, 0·98, respectively).

Body weight concerns were reported by a sizeable minority of boys and were associated with negative health outcomes. The findings support the need to promote frequent family meals and facilitate open communication in families.

To describe the prevalence of ‘graded thinness’ in children aged 11, 13 and 15 years in eleven developed countries and to identify trends in the prevalence of ‘thinness’ (BMI < 17 kg/m2 at age 18 years) by age and gender.

Cross-sectional study using data collected through self-reported questionnaires.

Data were taken from the 1997/1998, 2001/2002 and 2005/2006 surveys of the Health Behaviours in School-aged Children (HBSC) Study.

Children and adolescents from ten European countries and the USA (n 158 000).

Prevalence of grades 1, 2 and 3 of thinness was higher among 11-year-old students compared with the 13- and 15-year-olds in all countries. A higher prevalence of thinness was observed in girls than in boys. Since 1998 the prevalence of thinness decreased steadily in Czech boys and girls, while it increased for French girls. In the total European sample of females, thinness decreased from 1998 to 2006 (χ2 for trend, P < 0·01). Age-adjusted logistic regression analysis showed that Czech boys and girls, and Flemish and American girls were less likely to be thin in 2006 than in 1998; while a noteworthy increment, even if borderline significant, was observed for French girls with a 41 % increase in the likelihood to be thin.

Our findings suggest that thinness is an important overlooked phenomenon with wide variation in prevalence and trends across developed countries. It deserves further longitudinal studies in a multinational context that could increase the understanding of the factors associated with thinness and contribute to developing preventive and nutritional programmes targeted at controlling obesity and chronic diseases, while monitoring thinness.

To investigate the relationships between weight reduction behaviour among non-overweight schoolchildren and dietary habits, perception of health, well-being and health complaints.

Analysis of the 2006 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey, a cross-sectional study involving schoolchildren aged 10–17 years.

Schools in the Republic of Ireland.

The proportion of children (n 3599) engaged in weight reduction behaviour (‘dieting’ among non-overweight students) was 10·3 %. Older children, females and those from higher social classes (SC) were more likely to report such behaviour. Non-overweight schoolchildren who reported weight reduction behaviour were less likely than those not engaged in such behaviour to frequently consume sweets, soft drinks, crisps and chips/fried potatoes (OR from 0·39 (95 % CI 0·17, 0·89) to 0·72 (95 % CI 0·53, 0·99)); were more likely to consume diet soft drinks (OR 1·50 (95 % CI 1·03, 2·18); and were more likely to miss breakfast during the week (OR 0·62 (95 % CI 0·48, 0·80). The risk of subjective health complaints increased (OR from 1·47 (95 % CI 1·13, 1·91) to 1·92 (95 % CI 1·48, 2·49)); as did body dissatisfaction (OR 9·17 (95 % CI 6·99, 12·02)), while perception of health and well-being decreased (OR 0·47 (95 % CI 0·36, 0·61)) to 0·54 (95 % CI 0·41, 0·70)). All analyses were controlled for age, gender and SC.

Weight reduction behaviour among non-overweight schoolchildren is associated with considerable risk to physical health and emotional well-being. Since the risks associated with such behaviour varies by weight status, health professionals and researchers need to consider these issues in parallel.

To investigate the relationships between food poverty and food consumption, health and life satisfaction among schoolchildren.

Analysis of the 2002 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, a cross-sectional survey that employs a self-completion questionnaire in a nationally representative random sample of school classrooms in the Republic of Ireland.

A total of 8424 schoolchildren (aged 10–17 years) from 176 schools, with an 83% response rate from children.

Food poverty was found to be similarly distributed among the three social classes (15.3% in the lower social classes, 15.9% in the middle social classes and 14.8% in the higher social classes). It was also found that schoolchildren reporting food poverty are less likely to eat fruits, vegetables and brown bread, odds ratio (OR) from 0.66 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.45–0.87) to 0.81 (95% CI 0.63–0.99); more likely to eat crisps, fried potatoes and hamburgers, OR from 1.20 (95% CI 1.00–1.40) to 1.62 (95% CI 1.39–1.85); and more likely to miss breakfast on weekdays, OR from 1.29 (95% CI 0.33–1.59) to 1.72 (95% CI 1.50–1.95). The risk of somatic and mental symptoms is also increased, OR from 1.48 (95% CI 1.18–1.78) to 2.57 (95% CI 2.33–2.81); as are negative health perceptions, OR from 0.63 (95% CI 0.43–0.83) to 0.52 (95% CI 0.28–0.76) and measures of life dissatisfaction, OR from 1.88 (95% CI 1.64–2.12) to 2.25 (95% CI 2.05–2.45). Similar results were found for life dissatisfaction in an international comparison of 32 countries. All analyses were adjusted for age and social class.

Food poverty in schoolchildren is not restricted to those from lower social class families, is associated with a substantial risk to physical and mental health and well-being, and requires the increased attention of policy makers and practitioners.