Table 1.

A summary of the social ecological perspective on determinants of children’s eating behaviors: influences and interventions.

SEM Level	Determinant	Key Findings	Proposed Interventions
Community	Food Availability and Accessibility	Children tend to consume food that is readily available and accessible at home. Parental food choices, home food availability, and household constraints play key roles in shaping dietary habits.	Enhance home food availability of nutritious options, educate parents on healthy food choices, and promote sustainable eating behaviors.
	Eating Out	Frequent eating out, especially at fast food restaurants, contributes to excessive calorie intake and poor diet quality.	Promote healthier restaurant menu options, nutrition labeling, and policies that encourage home-cooked meals.
Interpersonal	Parents’ Eating Behaviors	Parents serve as role models in shaping children’s dietary habits. Parental education, socioeconomic status, and food choices significantly impact children’s eating behaviors.	Parental education on healthy eating, structured mealtime behaviors, and involvement in meal preparation to reinforce positive dietary habits.
	The Social Context of Meals	Family mealtimes positively influence children’s dietary choices. Regular family meals are associated with higher nutrient intake and lower risk of obesity.	Encourage family meals, implement programs to enhance structured mealtimes, and promote positive parental role modeling.
	Feeding Practice	Parental feeding practices influence children’s eating behaviors. Restrictive feeding may promote overeating, while supportive feeding encourages healthy habits.	Educate parents on feeding practices that support children’s self-regulation and create positive mealtime experiences.
	Peers’ Eating Behaviors	Peer influence affects children’s food choices. Children are likely to adopt the eating behaviors of their friends and social circles.	Develop peer-led health education programs and create school environments that encourage healthy eating habits.
Individual	Screen Viewing	Excessive screen time is linked to poor dietary habits and obesity. Screen exposure promotes unhealthy food choices and increases sedentary behavior.	Implement screen time guidelines, regulate digital food marketing, and promote tech-free meals to reduce mindless eating.
Organizational	School Meals	School meal programs influence children’s nutrition. Nutritional quality and accessibility of school meals impact dietary choices and obesity risk.	Enhance school meal programs with stricter nutritional guidelines, reduce access to unhealthy food options in schools, and integrate nutrition education into curricula.