Exploring how bicultural and assimilated children of Mexican origin influence their Latina mothers' diet: Perspectives from mothers and children.

Social and cultural factors influence dietary intake and behaviors. Research shows that mothers consume a lower quality diet when they have a child who is assimilated to the US culture versus bicultural. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively compare how bicultural and assimilated children influenced their culturally traditional mothers' dietary intake/behaviors. Separate one-on-one interviews with 21 Mexican-origin mothers and their bicultural (n = 11) or assimilated (n = 10) children (10-13 years old) were conducted. We used framework analysis to reduce qualitative data to themes and subthemes. Data were analyzed separately and then compared between mothers of bicultural versus assimilated children. Mothers of bicultural children reported typically having an easier time consuming a better quality diet than mothers of assimilated children. For example, although all children requested non-traditional foods, bicultural children were typically more accepting of their mothers preparing traditional healthier foods than assimilated children. Furthermore, mothers believed their children's food preferences both influenced and were influenced by their own feeding styles. Mothers of bicultural children described using more "Mexican" (i.e., authoritative) feeding styles that they believed shaped their children's palate into preferring traditional foods. Mothers of assimilated children explained that their children's preference for non-traditional foods resulted in their use of more permissive or indulgent feeding styles. Longitudinal research is needed to test and confirm the directionality between feeding styles and child's food preferences. Interventions may need to consider the reciprocal influences between mothers' feeding styles, children's food preferences, and how children influence their mothers' dietary intake/behavior.