Table 1.

Sample interview guide questions used to conduct in-depth interviews with low-income caregivers regarding child snacking^*

1. We are interested in learning more about how you think about [child’s name] snack habits and what kinds of things are important when you choose snacks for [him/her]. So, to start, when I say the word ‘snack’ what do you think of?

Follow-up questions:

What makes something a snack?

How is it different than a meal?

2. So thinking about [child’s name], why does [he/she] get snacks?

3. How do you decide what [child’s name] eats for a snack?

Follow-up questions:

What role does [child’s name] have in this decision?

Are there snacks that you like [child’s name] to eat? What things do you do to try to make sure [he/she] eats those kinds of snacks?

Are there snacks that you think [child’s name] should eat less often? If yes, what things do you try to do to make sure [he/she] doesn’t eat too many of those snacks?

4. How do you decide how much [child’s name] eats for a snack?

Follow-up questions:

What role does [child’s name] have in this decision?

What things do you do to make sure your child does not eat too much of a particular snack?

5. How do you decide when [child’s name] eats a snack?

Follow-up questions:

What role does [child’s name] have in this decision?

Tell me about your child’s snack habits between dinner and bedtime. What does this look like?

6. In what places or situations does [child’s name] usually eat snacks?

Follow-up questions:

Tell me more about [name place/setting using participant phrasing].

Who is typically there when your child has a snack in [name place/situation]?

Why does your child have a snack in [name place/situation]?

^*Questions included in this table represent a subset from the larger interview guide.