Association between perceived self-efficacy related to meal management and food coping strategies among working parents with preschool children

Objective: This study assessed the associations between the perception of self-efficacy related to meal management and food coping strategies among working parents with preschool children. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 417 working parents with at least one child between the ages of 2 and 5 years completed a self-administered questionnaire. The association between perceived self-efficacy related to meal management and food coping strategies referred to as home-based or “away from home” food strategies, and was verified with logistic regression analysis. Results: High self-efficacy among working parents was associated with planning a menu for the upcoming week (OR = 1.171–1.959), preparation of healthy meals with only few ingredients on hand (OR = 1.152–1.495), and preparation of meals in advance (OR = 1.131–1.364), which are home-based food strategies. Low self-efficacy was linked to adoption of «away from home» food strategies such as eating in fast-food restaurants (OR = 0.713–0.898). Conclusion: self-efficacy related to meal management stands out as one of the priority consideration in planning nutrition interventions targeting working parents. Actions related to acquiring cooking skills, planning menus, and drawing up grocery lists would also be of value.