Associations between Perceived Parent Behaviors and Middle School Student Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

Objective: To determine whether an association exists between different clusters of fruit-and vegetable-specific family-environmental factors and children's daily fruit and vegetable intake, and whether these associations differ between countries with different school lunch policies. Design: Cross-sectional data from four European countries participating in the Pro Greens project in 2009. These countries have different school food policies: two serve free school lunches and two do not. Self-administered data were used. Food frequency questions served to assess fruit and vegetable intakes. The study assessed sixteen children-perceived family-environmental factors, which were clustered based on principal component analysis into five sum variables: fruit and vegetable encouragement; vegetable modelling, family routine and demand; fruit modelling; fruit and vegetable snacking practices; and fruit and vegetable allowing. Setting: Schools in Finland, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands. Subjects: Schoolchildren aged 11 years (n 3317). Results: Multilevel logistic regression analyses revealed positive associations between nearly all clustered family-environmental factors and daily fruit and vegetable intake. The study tested a moderation effect between family-environmental factors and school lunch policy. In five out of twenty models significant interactions occurred. In the stratified analyses, most of the associations between family-environmental factors and raw and cooked vegetable intake were stronger in Germany and the Netherlands, neither of which provided free school lunches. Conclusions: Children reporting more fruit-and vegetable-promoting familyenvironmental factors had a more frequent intake of fruits and vegetables; the associations were stronger for vegetable intakes in countries providing no free school lunches, suggesting that parental involvement is crucial when schools offer no vegetables.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Role of free school lunch in the associations between family-environmental factors and children's fruit and vegetable intake in four European countries

Ray

Roos

Brug

et al. 2012

“…Several researchers have developed measures of the availability and accessibility of healthy and less healthy foods in the home with most emphasis placed on fruits and vegetables (18,36,(38)(39)(40)(41)(42)(43)(44)(45)(46)(47)54,55,57,59,(61)(62)(63)65) . While no gold standard exists for examining availability and accessibility of foods, some trials have used in-home inventories.…”

Section: Food Availability and Accessibilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There have also been a number of literature reviews on interventions targeting families to improve PA, diet and weight status in children (31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36) . In each case there has been a consistent call for assessing relevant home environment variables with validated measures.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Measures of the home environment related to childhood obesity: a systematic review

Pinard

Yaroch

Hart

et al. 2011

103

102

Objective: Due to a proliferation of measures for different components of the home environment related to childhood obesity, the purpose of the present systematic review was to examine these tools and the degree to which they can validly and reliably assess the home environment. Design: Relevant manuscripts published between 1998 and 2010 were obtained through electronic database searches and manual searches of reference lists. Manuscripts were included if the researchers reported on a measure of the home environment related to child eating and physical activity (PA) and childhood obesity and reported on at least one psychometric property. Results: Of the forty papers reviewed, 48 % discussed some aspect of parenting specific to food. Fifty-per cent of the manuscripts measured food availability/ accessibility, 18 % measured PA availability/accessibility, 20 % measured media availability/accessibility, 30 % focused on feeding style, 23 % focused on parenting related to PA and 20 % focused on parenting related to screen time. Conclusions: Many researchers chose to design new measures for their studies but often the items employed were brief and there was a lack of transparency in the psychometric properties. Many of the current measures of the home food and PA environment focus on one or two constructs; more comprehensive measures as well as short screeners guided by theoretical models are necessary to capture influences in the home on food and PA behaviours of children. Finally, the current measures of the home environment do not necessarily translate to specific subpopulations. Recommendations were made for future validation of measures in terms of appropriate psychometric testing. Keywords Child obesity Home environment Measurement PsychometricsThe prevalence and severity of childhood overweight have increased significantly in the past three decades (1)(2)(3) . Negative sequalae from being overweight during childhood include being at a higher risk for a number of chronic and acute conditions (4) as well as negative social and psychological outcomes (5) . The source for the majority of childhood obesity cases can be attributed to energy imbalance which has been linked to changes in the food and physical activity (PA) environments (6,7) . The home environment has been documented as one that can either facilitate or inhibit healthful eating and PA, and caregivers play a key role in the development of the social and physical environment within a household (8,9) . From a social environment perspective, caregivers serve as role models for PA, dietary and media behaviours and influence the child's health behaviours and weight status through parenting strategies and feeding styles (10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21) . In addition, a child participates in more PA when a greater amount of space and active toys are available in the home (22,23) . Likewise, access to food items can impact consumption (24,25) . Similarly, when more screen opportunities are available, children are more likely to engage i...

“…Self-reported F&V intake of among 3957 middle-school students and associations with availability, preferences, attitudes, meal patterns and SES Availability was strongest predictor of F&V intake. Relationships between social support, meal patterns, food security, SES and F&V intake were moderated by availability Bere and Klepp (2004) 11 Assessment of correlates of 1950 6th and 7th grade children's F&V consumption A measure that included availability items was correlated with intake Young et al (2004) 28 Self-reported F&V consumption of 366 middle-school students. Child-reported parenting style, parental control, parental modelling, availability and self-efficacy 29 Cross-sectional assessment of middle-school students' dietary intake Home F&V availability has been associated with psychosocial predictors of intake.…”

Section: Qualitative Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fruit and vegetable availability: a micro environmental mediating variable?

Jago

Baranowski

2007

104