Abstract

Objectives: The study examines the feasibility of changing the food Habitus of the disadvantaged stigmatised social class through a family mealtime intervention. Dominant approaches to nutritional health have largely adopted an uncritically positivist approach. Leading to individual behaviour change being the default intervention, sustaining health disparities. Existing understandings of family meal culture may not cater for idiosyncrasies and nuances in the socially disadvantaged food habitus that may sustain behaviour change.

Design: Qualitative longitudinal, critical exploration, of family mealtime intervention ‘Let’s eat’ undertaken in a community context, in the NorthEast of England. Participants included 4 families that attended the intervention (parents =4 children=12).

Methods: A constructivist grounded theory approach was adopted within a critical health psychology framework. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and participant diaries at 3 collection points; post intervention, 6 months, 1year. Inductive methodology and continual analysis lead the direction of enquiry.

Results: Findings indicate the intervention was initially effective in addressing shared family meals, with a ‘hands on’ approach supporting change in habitus and subsequent mealtime behaviour. Sustainability across change objectives however, was challenging post intervention ‘hands off’. Highlighting the potential for continued engagement to transform the habitus, sustaining changes and avoiding inadvertent harm.

Conclusion: Eating culture, that shapes nutritional health in this population, has potential for change through intervention, facilitating a necessary transference in social capital. Furthering understanding and expanding the evidence base to realise creative development of effective mealtime interventions that reduce inequalities, ensuring they support, rather than impede, behaviour change in this population.