{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T20:44:13Z","timestamp":1787863453923,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,27]],"date-time":"2023-11-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1701043200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Single motherhood is associated with higher demands in home and family responsibilities that may exist in similar sized households with grandparents. These demands can compete with opportunities and resources for maintenance of healthy behaviours. This may have been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic since supports outside the home may have been restricted by public health measures. A qualitative narrative study was conducted to explore these issues with 12 single mothers in Canada. Semi-structured interviews provided an in-depth understanding of the challenges and facilitators to maintaining healthy eating habits, physical activity levels, and mental health. Theory-driven content and structural analysis were applied through a descriptive thematic approach. Challenges to maintaining healthy eating behaviours included stay-at-home orders, limited budget, unhealthy food\/cravings, and lack of motivation. In contrast, living with grandparents who provide help or having an understanding of healthy food were factors that facilitated engagement in healthy eating. Challenges to maintaining physical activity levels included lack of willpower, lack of time, and low energy. Whereas time on one\u2019s own, weighing scales or outdoor gear, and weather conditions promoted physical activity. Spirituality and gratitude were the main coping mechanisms used to deal with loneliness, unemployment, and depressive symptoms. Further research into the utility of gratitude as a coping mechanism could inform public health interventions that aim to increase levels of well-being among single mothers.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0294552","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,27]],"date-time":"2023-11-27T19:17:15Z","timestamp":1701112635000},"page":"e0294552","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["A qualitative study of healthy eating, physical activity, and mental health among single mothers in Canada"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5810-2224","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Lisbeth A.","family":"Pino Gavidia","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9311-7379","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Joy C.","family":"MacDermid","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Laura","family":"Brunton","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Samantha","family":"Doralp","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,27]]},"reference":[{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0294552.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"301","DOI":"10.1177\/002214650704800307","article-title":"Family structure, stress, and psychological distress: A demonstration of the impact of differential exposure","volume":"48","author":"WR Avison","year":"2007","journal-title":"Journal of Health and Social Behavior"},{"issue":"9","key":"pone.0294552.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"934","DOI":"10.1017\/S1368980008002449","article-title":"Food consumption, eating behaviour and self-esteem among single v. married and cohabiting mothers and their 12-year-old children","volume":"11","author":"K Elfhag","year":"2008","journal-title":"Public Health Nutrition"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0294552.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6","DOI":"10.1186\/1475-9276-9-6","article-title":"Inequalities in the psychological well-being of employed, single and partnered mothers: the role of psychosocial work quality and work-family conflict","volume":"9","author":"E Dziak","year":"2010","journal-title":"International Journal for Equity in Health"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0294552.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"379","DOI":"10.1007\/s11199-016-0718-7","article-title":"Motives and barriers for physical activity among low-income black single mothers","volume":"77","author":"D Dlugonski","year":"2017","journal-title":"Sex Roles"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0294552.ref005","first-page":"S42","article-title":"Determinants of healthy eating among low-income Canadians","volume":"96","author":"EM Power","year":"2005","journal-title":"Can J Public Health"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0294552.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"637","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychsport.2014.07.007","article-title":"Social cognitive correlates of physical activity among single mothers with young children","volume":"15","author":"D Dlugonski","year":"2014","journal-title":"Psychology of Sport and Exercise"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0294552.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e12981","DOI":"10.1111\/mcn.12981","article-title":"Long-term effects of a healthy eating blog in mothers and children","volume":"16","author":"A-A Dumas","year":"2020","journal-title":"Maternal & Child Nutrition"},{"issue":"7","key":"pone.0294552.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"888","DOI":"10.1017\/S1368980008003066","article-title":"Is the perception of time pressure a barrier to healthy eating and physical activity among women?","volume":"12","author":"N Welch","year":"2009","journal-title":"Public Health Nutrition"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0294552.ref009","first-page":"686","article-title":"Do low-income lone mothers compromise their nutrition to feed their children?","volume":"168","author":"L McIntyre","year":"2003","journal-title":"CMAJ"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0294552.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"884","DOI":"10.1093\/ije\/dyh155","article-title":"Does conflict between home and work explain the effect of multiple roles on mental health? 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