PhD in Population Medicine: The role of grandparents in shaping young children’s diet during the provision of childcare

Background: Promoting healthy diet among children and young people is an important health priority. Poor diet in childhood is linked to overweight and obesity and has strong links with serious health problems in later life. In the UK obesity related illness is a major burden to the NHS and obesity-related diseases equate to over £5 billion per year (Scarborough, et al. 2011) with predictions that this will rise by £1.9-2 billion a year by 2030 (Wang, et al. 2011). Families are an important influence on children’s diets through determining the food that children eat, how it is consumed, and creating norms regarding what is healthy. Promoting healthy diets within the family setting therefore has the potential to achieve long term improvements in children’s health into their adult lives.

Grandparents thus have a prominent role in helping to determine what children eat, the nature of everyday family cooking and eating practices, and the communication of norms around healthy and unhealthy consumption. The importance of grandparents has increased in recent years as they have become a major provider of childcare for the children of working parents and therefore have a significant day to day influence on what children eat. Previous research has identified possible links between provision of childcare by grandparents and children’s risk of becoming overweight and obese. There is evidence that parents and grandparents may differ in terms of how they manage children’s diets, and that negotiation between family members shapes grandparents’ decisions about how to feed their grandchildren. However, research on how and why grandparents shape grandchildren’s diet when providing childcare is limited. We know little about: how grandparents decide which kinds of foods and food routines are healthy/unhealthy; how negotiations with grandchildren’s parents affect grandparents’ practices; or the support needs which grandparents have when trying to promote healthy diets. Research is therefore needed to better understand the processes through which grandparents who provide childcare shape children’s diets.

Aim and Objectives: The PhD aims to explore the processes through which grandparents shape children’s dietary behaviours when providing childcare. Its objectives are to: 1) review the qualitative and quantitative literature on the associations between grandparental involvement/food practices and children’s diet and key mechanisms for these; 2) undertake a qualitative study using visual and ethnographic methods to explore experiences, relationships and practices in relation to the food practices of grandparents who provide childcare in South Wales; and 3) identify grandparents’ support needs, and ways in which new or existing interventions might address these to optimize grandparents’ contribution to achieving healthy diets for children.

Methods: The project will employ an ethnographic approach through undertaking visual methods and elicitation interviews, in situ observation and ethnographic interviewing with grandparents, parents and children/young people in the home setting. The use of multiple methods and researcher engagement with different family members over a period of time are designed to generate a rich understanding of how grandparents’ food practices in relation to their grandchildren operate within particular family contexts, and the ways intra-family interactions shape these food practices.

Impact: The project will generate important insights into the factors which shape grandparents’ food practices in relation to their grandchildren including the role of family relationships, and the support needs which grandparents have when trying to promote healthy diets. The PhD will identify the key components of a future intervention to help grandparents promote healthy diets among the grandchildren they care for.

Applications must be made via the University’s online application service SIMS Online. Candidates are only permitted to submit one application but may select a maximum of three projects, ranked in order of preference. In order to be considered candidates must submit the following information:

• Supporting statement
• CV
• Qualification certificates
• References x 2
• Proof of English language (if applicable)

The process for applying will be made clear on the advertisements. The PGR Office will be responsible for checking eligibility.

Applications will be accepted for UK and EU candidates wishing to study on a full time basis staring on 1st October 2018. Candidates must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class UK Honours degree or the equivalent in an appropriate area of biomedical sciences. Applicants with a Lower Second Class degree will be considered if they also have a Master’s degree or have significant relevant non-academic experience. Candidates will need to have achieved at least 6.5 in IELTS (and no less than 6.5 in any section) by the start of the programme.