The management of the home has been a central
component of Home Economics since the early 1900s. It is,
however, an enigmatic behavior that has not yielded easily
to research. Recognizing that meal provision and food
consumption by families incorporate management processes
and occur on a regular and frequent basis, it was thought
that it would be possible to focus on meal management as a
step toward understanding resource management.
Using time diary and questionnaire data collected in
Utah as a part of Regional Research Project S-206, the
objectives of this study were (1) to identify variables
which may predict the management strategies and time
expenditures of meal preparation in two-parent, two-child
Utah families, and (2) to assess any changes in current
meal patterns in two-parent, two-child families with those
reported by Peterson (1979) in a comparable 1977 study.
Guided by the Deacon and Firebaugh (1988) family
systems perspective, stepwise multiple regression was used
to identify predictor variables. It was found that
homemaker's education was a statistically significant
predictor of shopping frequency(+), frequency of use of a
microwave oven(+), number of meals eaten together(+), and
homemaker's time in food preparation and dishwashing (-).
Seven additional variables, including urban/rural
residence, homemaker's hours of employment, age of oldest
child, age of youngest child, homemaker's age and a mean
score on homemaker's self-reported management skills, were
statistically significant predictors of selected management
strategies and time expenditures in meal preparation.
Decade comparisons revealed few changes of practical
significance in meal patterns. The findings of the study
were used to suggest hypotheses for further research in
family resource management. / Graduation date: 1992
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/36254 |
| Date | 19 February 1992 |
| Creators | Steggell, Carmen Dobson |
| Contributors | Holyoak, Arlene |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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