BACKGROUND Establishing healthy eating behaviours in early life has implications for health over the life course. As the majority of Australian children aged five and under regularly attend early childhood education and care (ECEC) services, mealtimes at ECEC settings present opportunities to promote healthy eating behaviors. The purpose of this study was to explore children's eating behaviours and interactions between peers and educators during mealtimes in ECEC settings, with the aim of constructing a grounded theory of children's mealtimes in ECEC. METHODS In-depth qualitative case studies were undertaken at two ECEC centres. Each centre had been assessed as meeting national quality standards and were located in a lower socioeconomic status area. Data collection consisted of direct observation, video recording, written memos, and daily field notes. The analysis included open coding of video recorded mealtimes and field notes resulting in the allocation of initial codes and focused codes. Codes were grouped to form thematic categories and emergent themes. Theoretical sampling was used to identify mealtime interactions exemplifying thematic categories. RESULTS Data from 47 mealtimes was available. A grounded theory of children's mealtimes was developed to demonstrate children's outcomes at mealtimes. Outcomes were represented by five thematic categories: rituals, learning moments, food preference development, socialisation and child agency. Mealtimes offered opportunities for children to construct a community of peers with their educators by sharing information, stories and occasionally their food. Each centre established its own unique culture within mealtimes observed as the children were involved in routines and rituals. CONCLUSIONS Mealtimes in ECEC settings are a unique cultural phenomenon co-constructed by the ECEC community of children and educators. The findings highlight the importance of mealtimes as a time for learning and socialization. The routine and rituals of mealtimes provide an opportunity for educators to support the development of healthy food preferences.

中文翻译：

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文化与社区：在幼儿教育和照料环境中观察用餐时间的行为。

背景技术在生命早期建立健康的饮食行为对整个生命过程中的健康都具有影响。由于大多数五岁及以下的澳大利亚儿童定期参加幼儿教育和护理（ECEC）服务，因此在ECEC场所进餐是促进健康饮食行为的机会。这项研究的目的是探讨儿童在ECEC环境中进餐时间的进食行为以及同伴和教育者之间的互动，目的是构建ECEC中儿童进餐时间的扎实理论。方法在两个ECEC中心进行了深入的定性案例研究。每个中心都被评估为符合国家质量标准，并且位于较低的社会经济地位地区。数据收集包括直接观察，录像，书面备忘录，和每日实地记录。分析包括对录制的进餐时间和现场记录进行公开编码，从而分配了初始代码和重点代码。代码被分组以形成主题类别和新出现的主题。理论抽样被用来确定进餐时间的互动，以举例说明主题类别。结果有47个用餐时间的数据。建立了儿童进餐时间的扎根理论，以证明儿童进餐时间的结果。结果由五个主题类别代表：仪式，学习时机，食物偏爱发展，社会化和儿童代理。用餐时间为孩子们提供了机会，他们可以通过分享信息，故事和偶尔的食物来与他们的教育者建立同伴社区。当孩子们参与日常活动和仪式时，每个中心都在进餐时间建立了自己独特的文化。结论在ECEC环境中的进餐时间是ECEC儿童和教育工作者社区共同构建的一种独特的文化现象。研究结果突显了进餐时间对学习和社交的重要性。进餐时间的惯例和仪式为教育工作者提供了一个机会，以支持健康饮食偏好的发展。