Helen M. Hendy

Effectiveness of trained peer models to encourage food acceptance in preschool children

The present study examined the effectiveness of trained peer models to encourage food acceptance in children during preschool meals, and one month later. It also considered whether trained peer models risk the over-justification effects proposed to reduce later food acceptance after reinforcement has been offered for eating a specific food. Three novel foods were presented to eight tables of 38 children during five preschool meals. After three baseline meals, 16 children were trained to serve as peer models of food acceptance for one of the foods in exchange for small toy reinforcements, with each food assigned to either no model, girl model, or boy model conditions during the next two meals. The remaining 22 children served as observers whose food bites were recorded during baseline and modeled meals. Girl models were more effective than boy models to increase food acceptance from baseline to modeled meals for children of either gender. One month later, child interviews measured delayed food acceptance using food preference ratings and number of bites consumed. For observers, delayed food acceptance did not differ according to the foods previous modeling condition, suggesting that effectiveness of trained peer models does not last beyond the modeled meals. Trained peer models gave the highest preference ratings to the specific food they had eaten in exchange for toy reinforcements one month before, and they ate as much of this food as other foods, offering no evidence for detrimental over-justification effects on food acceptance as a result of serving as peer models.

The Parent Mealtime Action Scale (PMAS). Development and association with children's diet and weight.

A new and comprehensive Parent Mealtime Action Scale (PMAS) was developed to identify dimensions of mealtime behaviors used by parents, then examined for its usefulness to explain variance in childrens diet and weight status. Exploratory factor analysis with 2008 mothers and two confirmatory factor analyses with 541 mothers and 439 fathers produced a 31-item scale with nine dimensions. Mothers reported more gentle PMAS actions like setting SNACK LIMITS, ensuring DAILY FV AVAILABILITY, and using FAT REDUCTION and POSITIVE PERSUASION during meals, whereas fathers reported more forceful PMAS actions like INSISTENCE ON EATING. Seven PMAS dimensions explained variance in childrens diet and weight status even when in competition with three well-known predictors (genetic risk, exercise, television). Children with healthier diets and weight had parents who often ensured DAILY FV AVAILABILITY and used FAT REDUCTION, POSITIVE PERSUASION, and INSISTENCE ON EATING during meals, but who rarely showed SNACK MODELING, allowed children too MANY FOOD CHOICES, or made them SPECIAL MEALS different from the shared family meal. Parents also may respond to childrens overweight by using more FAT REDUCTION. The PMAS offers a new research, clinical, and educational tool to guide parents in actions most associated with childrens diet and weight status.

Comparison of Six Models for Violent Romantic Relationships in College Men and Women

Six types of parent and partner violence were compared as possible models for violence in the romantic relationships of 608 college students (164 men, 444 women). Participants used the Conflict Tactics Scale to report violence to and from the present partner, as well as violence from mother to father, father to mother, mother to participant, father to participant, and past partners to participant. Stepwise multiple regression revealed that violence to the present partner was explained by both partner and parent models of violence for men (R 2 = .39) and women (R 2 = .51), with violence from the present partner found to be the most powerful model. Violence received from the mother was the most powerful parental model for violence in the present romantic relationship, but for women it was associated with receiving violence, whereas for men it was associated with both receiving and inflicting violence.

Decision to Leave Scale: Perceived Reasons to Stay in or Leave Violent Relationships

The 30-item Decision to Leave Scale (DLS) was developed with 631 college women and 420 college women and women in shelters. Seven DLS subscales emerged for concerns in deciding to stay or leave: Fear of Loneliness, Child Care Needs, Financial Problems, Social Embarrassment, Poor Social Support, Fear of Harm, Hopes Things Change. Mean internal reliability was .73, mean test-retest reliability was .70. Discriminant validity was demonstrated by expected associations between DLS concerns and self-esteem, children, and violence. Criterion validity was demonstrated by greater DLS concerns for women in shelters than for college women. Women in violent relationships who decided to stay reported more Fear of Loneliness than women who decided to leave.

Parent mealtime actions that mediate associations between children's fussy-eating and their weight and diet

The present study evaluated parent mealtime actions that mediate associations between childrens fussy-eating and their weight and diet. Participants included 236 feeding-clinic children in three diagnostic groups: 50 with autism, 84 with other special needs, and 102 without special needs. Childrens weight was measured as body mass index percentile (BMI%), with only 26.4% of the present sample found to be underweight (BMI% less than 10). Parents reported childrens diet variety as the number of 139 common foods accepted, childrens FUSSINESS with the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire, and their own use of four actions from the Parent Mealtime Action Scale: POSITIVE PERSUASION, INSISTENCE ON EATING, SNACK MODELING, SPECIAL MEALS. Multiple regression found that only SPECIAL MEALS explained variance in childrens BMI% and diet variety. For children without special needs, mediation analysis revealed that variance in childrens BMI% explained by FUSSINESS was accounted for entirely by the parents preparation of SPECIAL MEALS. For all diagnostic groups, mediation analyses revealed that variance in childrens diet variety explained by FUSSINESS was accounted for by the parents use of SPECIAL MEALS. We conclude that although the parents use of SPECIAL MEALS may improve BMI% in fussy-eating clinic children, it may also perpetuate their limited diet variety.

Effects of Pet and/or People Visits on Nursing Home Residents

A previous study by the author supported the recently popular idea that live pet-visits increase desirable behaviors in nursing home residents such as smiling and alertness, but it also suggested that people-visits may be even more effective. The purpose of the present study was therefore to compare the effects of different visiting programs (people-alone, people-plus-pets, pets-alone and no visit) on the behaviors of nursing home residents (proximity, talking, smiling, ambulation, alertness). All three visiting programs of people-alone, people-plus-pets, and pets-alone increased the behaviors of smiling and alertness in comparison to control conditions in the nursing home lounge. Close proximity to the person-alone visitor was, however, associated with the greatest number of positive resident behaviors. Future research is suggested to examine the characteristics that make effective pet and person visitors for nursing home residents.

Social Cognitive Predictors of Body Image in Preschool Children.

To better understand origins of gender differences in body confidence, the present study examines predictors of body image suggested by Social Cognitive Theory (A. Bandura, 1997): models (from mothers, peers), verbal messages (from mothers, peers, teachers), physiological factors (age, body mass, health status), and experience of competence related to body image (social competence, food competence). Variables were gathered from child interviews, mother questionnaires, and teacher questionnaires for 94 preschool children (52 boys, 42 girls; mean age – 54.2 months; 90.2% Caucasian). Body image was measured with seven same-gender silhouettes (M. E. Collins, 1991). No gender differences were found for the body image of preschool children. Messages from the mother to “be bigger” were the most consistent predictor of body image. However, only for boys were mothers messages a valid reflection of the childs actual body mass, which if continued, could produce greater body confusion for girls at later ages.

Social Cognitive Predictors of Nutritional Risk in Rural Elderly Adults

According to Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1997), nutritional risk would be predicted by perceptions of nutrition efficacy, which in turn would be predicted from four sources: modeling, verbal support, physiological conditions, and nutrition habits. In telephone interviews with 154 rural elderly adults (44 men, 110 women; mean age = 74.4 years), nutritional risk was measured with Nutritional Risk Index (NRI), Nutritional Screening Initiative (NSI), and seven-high-risk-nutrients consumed less than 50 percent of RDA (Diet Plus Analysis). Nutrition-efficacy was measured with a new twenty-five-item scale of Perceived Nutrition Barriers (PNB). Sources of nutrition-efficacy included: mealtime modeling—shared meals, household size; verbal support—people talk to each day, hours talked, number of confidants; physiological conditions that may affect nutrition—age, body mass, medications, disability, negative affect, and nutrition habits—daily food variety, use of meal services. Path analysis was performed with each measure of nutritional risk (NRI, NSI, 7-high-risk-nutrients) as a criterion variable, nutrition-efficacy (PNB) as a possible mediating variable, and sources of nutrition-efficacy as predictor variables. Social Cognitive variables accounted for 58 percent of variance in NRI, 49 percent of variance in NSI, and 29 percent of variance in seven-high-risk-nutrients. Nutritional risk was directly predicted by large households, few shared meals, few confidants, high body mass, many medications, and few daily foods; it was indirectly predicted (via PNB) by high levels of negative affect. Perceived Nutrition Barriers (PNB) most often mentioned were food cost, eating alone, food tastelessness, transportation to the store, and chewing difficulty.

Validation of the parent mealtime action scale (PMAS) when applied to children referred to a hospital-based feeding clinic

The purpose of this study was to validate the Parent Mealtime Action Scale (PMAS) when applied to a clinical sample of 231 children with feeding problems and then to examine its association with demographic variables, diet, and weight. Parents completed questionnaires that included the PMAS, the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire, and measure of diet variety. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed good fit for the nine dimensions of parent mealtime action found in the original PMAS study. Results from the present study suggest that the PMAS provides a valid tool for measuring parent mealtime actions of hospital samples of children with feeding problems.

Which comes first in food-mood relationships, foods or moods?

College students (n=44) completed seven-day records of foods and moods. Nutritionist™ software measured daily nutrition scores including calories, carbohydrates, saturated fat, and sodium. Hierarchical stepwise multiple regression (controlling for gender, restrained eating) revealed that nutrition scores were more consistently associated with negative moods than positive moods, and with moods across a two-day span rather than a one-day span as typically studied in past research. The more calories, saturated fat, and sodium consumed by the students, the more negative mood they reported 2 days later. Results suggest that foods come first in the temporal sequence of food-mood relationships.