Bonding and Bridging Social and Cultural Capitals: Perceived Factors Associated With Family Eating Practices Among Hmong, Latino, and White Mothers and Fathers

Objective: To examine perceived social and cultural capitals associated with family eating practices among Hmong, Latino, and white mothers and fathers. Methods: Six focus groups composed of 52 Hmong, Latino, and white mothers and fathers of young children were conducted to examine parental perceptions of social and cultural capitals associated with eating practices. Results: Whereas Hmong participants unanimously emphasized the healthfulness of their traditional food, Latino groups had divergent views on their traditional foods' healthfulness. Hmong parents highly valued their traditional foods whereas white and Latino mothers were more accepting of new foods from other cultures. Participants noted divergent views on gender roles in family eating practices and food culture preservation efforts. Conclusions and Implications: Identifying and promoting bonding and bridging of cultural assets for healthy dietary practices among different cultural groups may be important for developing successful nutrition education programs across ethnicities in the community.