Parent Food and Eating Behavior Assessments Predict Targeted Healthy Eating Index Components.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE\nTo examine the ability of parent response to assessments of in-home availability of 20 fruits and vegetables (FV), self-efficacy/outcome expectancy to prepare FV that their child would eat, modeling of FV eating behavior, and eating competence to predict parents targeted Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI) scores at baseline.\n\n\nDESIGN\nCross-sectional survey.\n\n\nSETTING\nSixty-one classrooms in 8 northern Colorado elementary schools over 4 years participating in Fuel for Fun (FFF), a school-based culinary and physical activity intervention.\n\n\nPARTICIPANTS\nParents and guardians (n\u202f=\u202f71) of fourth-grade youths from participating classrooms.\n\n\nMAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)\nHealthy Eating Index-2010 scores as derived from 24-hour recalls administered with the Automated Self-Administered 24-hour dietary assessment tool.\n\n\nANALYSIS\nGeneralized linear regression models tested the predictive validity of survey assessments for targeted HEI components. Results were considered statistically significant at P ≤ .05.\n\n\nRESULTS\nIn-home FV availability predicted total fruit (P\u202f=\u202f.01), whole fruit (P\u202f=\u202f.001), and total vegetable (P\u202f=\u202f.01) HEI, and parent modeling of FV eating behavior predicted total fruit (P\u202f=\u202f.01) and whole fruit (P\u202f=\u202f.02) HEI. However, these survey measures were not associated with other HEI components, including total HEI. Parent self-efficacy/outcome expectancy to prepare FV that their child would eat or like was not associated with total HEI or HEI components. Eating competence did not predict total HEI but was associated with seafood and plant proteins in the anticipated direction (P\u202f=\u202f.04).\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS\nThe results demonstrated construct validation of some parent Fuel for Fun survey assessments with targeted HEI components. Additional assessment in larger and more diverse samples is warranted so that nutrition education and behavior researchers may use these valid and reliable, brief, low-cost, and easy-to-use survey instruments as a proxy for dietary intake.