Family cohesiveness and dietary status of farm families in southwest Virginia

Abstract

Researchers have found that environments such as cohesiveness, organization, and control have an influence on dietary adequacy of family members. A study of adults in seven limited resource farm families in South-west Virginia included dietary status (dietary score) and family cohesiveness (activity, activity quality, and observation scores).

Dietary status was analyzed from an average of three 24-hour dietary recalls obtained from the respondents. The nutrients analyzed were protein, calcium, iron, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Sixty-seven percent of the Recommended Dietary Allowances was considered adequate for this population. The results of dietary analysis of these farm families follow American dietary trends - high in protein; low in calcium, iron, vitamin A and vitamin C.

Family cohesiveness was analyzed by measuring shared time and activities that the respondents spent and interacted together. Time and activity information was obtained from time diaries kept by the respondents. Family cohesiveness analysis indicates that 71 percent of the families were cohesive using the activity and activity quality scores and 86 percent of the families were cohesive using the observation score.

Comparison of family cohesiveness and dietary adequacy indicates an association between family cohesiveness and dietary adequacy, i.e., families with high cohesiveness have better diets. The findings of this study suggest the importance of including nutrition as well as some aspect of family interaction in designing nutrition education programs.