Focus Group Delimas

When I sit down to work on my grant I just get so bored so I am trying to work on it little bites at a time, but it really doesn't work that well. I am making progress and that does make me happy. I am going to post my focus group questions below and I would love, love feedback on what you think. I keep being told that it needs to start off really broad and then go to more specific. The idea for the focus group is to understand rural, low-income mothers feeding practices defined as the types of foods, portion sizes, the frequency of meals and snacks offered, as well as the social and emotional context that eating takes place in.

This is what will be read at the beginning before we get started, make sure you understand what I am saying and pretend you are a rural, low-income individual. A questioning route is your list of questions to ask as the facilitator.

Questioning Route for Focus Groups

There are unique challenges to living in a rural community and if the family considers themselves low-income those challenges are often intensified. In today’s busy and chaotic world it is often difficult for mothers to provide nutritious food for their young children, so when you combine a busy schedule with limited resources that often accompany rural, low-income living it makes it even harder. It is important to understand the decisions mothers make in feeding practices so that those people creating programs for mothers will know how to help, what information is needed the most, and what mothers feel are the barriers to feeding their children.

Today, feeding kids is really challenging and those challenges are what we are going to talk about today.
1. Food means many things to many people, what are some of those meanings people associate with food?
Probes for the question:
What emotions do people place on food?
How does it feel when that situation occurs? (if they give an example of what happens to them in a given situation)
Tell me more about those meanings?

2. How might the meanings people place on food affect the way they interact with food, for example some people associate certain emotions with certain foods (comfort foods)?
Probe:
Feed their children?

3. All parents have to feed their young children, what are some of the challenges they encounter?
Probe:
Tell me more about that challenge.
Tell about how kids react to your feeding practices?

4. What does the typical family meal look like?
Probe:
Is this something that happens often in your home?
Who is eating at the family meal?

5. Are family meals an important aspect of your family life?
Probe:
What makes it an important part of your family life?

6. When a meal succeeds with a child what does that mean?
Probe:
Does success in a meal pertain to the food served or the context of the meal?
What does that meal consist of?
Do you have an ideal of how much they are eating?

6. How do individuals determine what a balanced diet is for themselves?
Probe:
How about their children?
Where did you gain that understanding?
Do you agree with the information that you have read, be given, etc.?

7. Where can mothers get information about feeding their children?
Probe:
Where have you found your information and was it useful?
Is there anything else you wish you knew to help with feeding practices?
Are resources you know of adequate for your needs?
What additional resources do you think are needed?

8. What resources are available to low-income rural mothers in feeding their children?
Probe:
How do you access your food?
What resources are needed?

Any additional probes you would suggest or anything that seems too broad – which the entire beginning for me but that is what they suggested would be of great help. I will bug you people on this so if there are no comments than you will receive an email and that is a threat! :)