Food practices and nutrition of children and adolescents in residential care: A scoping review

Food practices of children and adolescents have thus far been researched mainly regarding families and schools. However, there are children and adolescents who live outside of their families of origin in various forms of residential accommodation together with other young people and staff. It can be assumed that food practices and eating habits are central and challenging topics in everyday life in these institutions. Therefore, this paper aimed to provide an overview of the empirical research on food practices in residential care for children and adolescents. We identified 11 studies presented in 19 publications. These studies examined data from 479 children and adolescents, as well as 187 staff members, from 48 residential care units in 8 countries. Due to the interdisciplinary research field, the included studies showed great heterogeneity in the examination of food. In summary, the main foci have been the meaning of food practices in residential care, food practices and forced migration, biopolicy, and nutrition and health. A major topic is the social dimension of food, especially the symbolic meaning in terms of providing care and “making a family”. Nutritional or health aspects have been mainly analyzed in terms of eating disorders or providing enough food. Future research on food practices in residential care homes should also pay attention to quantitative designs that include a broader understanding of food, including its social and emotional facets.