Exploration of a Swedish community-based family-oriented setting for promoting healthy food habits: professionals’ experiences

The study investigates how open kindergartens in Sweden can be used as arenas to promote health and food literacy among families in multicultural societies. The researchers focus on how kindergarten teachers and healthcare workers find that their work with parents and children contributes to better eating habits and health understanding. The study also seeks to identify specific activities and practices that can support families in making informed health choices through daily interactions and mealtime activities. The research questions are:

1. What aspects of open kindergartens are perceived as being relevant to health promotion work, where parents, children, kindergarten teachers and healthcare workers can improve their food literacy (FL) and health literacy (HL)?
2. What aspects of food and eating, related to health and well-being, are addressed in open kindergartens?

The results show that open kindergartens can be an important arena for learning and support among families, where both parents and children are given opportunities to improve their health and eating habits. Through activities such as communal eating and cooking, kindergartens promote a supportive learning arena in which families and healthcare workers can meet in a safe environment. Language barriers and limited participation from some families were identified as challenges. The recommendations include continued collaboration with healthcare organisations and increased use of multicultural intermediaries to promote inclusive communication.

The study uses a qualitative method approach with semi-structured interviews to explore the experiences of three kindergarten teachers and seven healthcare workers in open kindergartens in Gothenburg, Sweden. The interviews were conducted digitally or in person and had a duration of 40 to 75 minutes. The questions were adapted to the different experiences of the kindergarten teachers and healthcare workers. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis to identify key themes and categories that highlight the health-promoting aspects of open kindergartens.

Mulkerrins, I., Gripeteg, L., & Berg, C. (2023). Exploration of a Swedish community-based family-oriented setting for promoting healthy food habits: professionals’ experiences. Health Promotion International, 38(3), daac030.

Online year: 2022

Issue year: 2023

Review year: 2022