Search: Advanced Search
Award/Grant Name: Parents' & teenagers' conceptions of diet, weight & health: Does class matter?
Award/Grant Holder: Dr Wendy Wills
Co-applicant(s): Professor Kathryn Backett-Milburn, Dr Julia Lawton, Dr Donna Mackinnon
Start Date: 01/09/2006 End Date: 31/08/2008
Award/Grant Description

The importance of young peoples’ health and particularly their eating habits has been highlighted in recent policy documents. These also place a continued emphasis on understanding factors contributing to socio-economic inequalities in health. Young people from lower social class families are at greater risk of becoming overweight/obese and of eating an ‘unhealthy’ diet.

Previous research by Wills and colleagues has explored diet, health and weight conceptualisations amongst families from lower social class groups with young teenagers with a range of BMIs. The current study will examine the dietary practices and health/weight conceptualisations of middle-class teenagers (aged 13-15 years), defined by their BMI as obese/overweight or non-obese/overweight. Qualitative, individual interviews will be undertaken with 36 young teenagers (18 boys and 18 girls). Interviews with parents/guardians will help situate these findings within the context of the family. To explore whether, and in what ways, class underpins perceptions and practices regarding diet, weight and health, the research will also involve a critical examination of key findings from the already completed research with lower social class families. This comparative work will inform policy and practice in the areas of diet, obesity and health inequalities.

Keywords:
Award/Grant Amount ESRC Grant Number Institution Discipline Award/Grant Type
£138,881.70 RES-000-23-1504 Sociology Research Grant Standard
Web Links
Press Kit

Award/Grant Outputs and Documents

Click on Download to download the document. Number of Documents: 14
  Title Type URL Author Published
Not quite an adult? : the impact of cultural and socio-economic forces on the diet and weight of young teenagers Conference Paper Willis, Wendy 08/10/2009 9:44
Plain English Summary Plain English Summary , 08/05/2009 9:40
A reflexive account of recruiting young teenagers for a research project on obesity and social class Conference Paper Wills, Wendy 18/03/2009 15:21
Consuming fast food : the perceptions and practices of middle class young teenagers Book Chapter Wills, Wendy 18/03/2009 15:17
Appendix C Full Research Report Wills, Wendy 21/01/2009 9:20
Appendix B Full Research Report Wills, Wendy 21/01/2009 9:09
Appendix A Full Research Report Wills, Wendy 21/01/2009 9:08
Full research report Full Research Report Wills, Wendy 21/01/2009 9:07
Non-technical summary Research Summary Wills, Wendy 21/01/2009 9:06
Representing a ‘good family’ : middle-class teenagers’ food, health and activity discourses Other Output Roberts, Mei-Li 19/03/2008 16:01

1     2      View All