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Social support is a primary influence on home fruit, 100% juice, and vegetable availability
Tom Baranowski1, Kathy Watson, Mariam Missaghian
1US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030-2600, USA. tbaranow@bcm.tmc.edu <tbaranow@bcm.tmc.edu>
Journal of the American Dietetic Association
|July 1, 2008
Summary
Family social support and healthy shopping habits significantly predict children's access to fruits and vegetables at home. These factors influence home availability, encouraging healthier eating patterns for children.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Behavioral Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Children's consumption of fruits and vegetables is linked to their availability at home.
- Understanding predictors of home availability is crucial for promoting healthy diets in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and test a predictive model for home availability of fruits, 100% juice, and vegetables.
- To identify key factors influencing the home availability of these healthy foods.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study with 98 participants recruited from grocery stores.
- Hierarchical regression analysis was used to identify significant predictors.
- Measures included shopping frequency, purchase expectancies, pantry management, social support, shopping practices, and body mass index (BMI).
Main Results:
- Social support was a primary predictor of home fruit availability.
- Body mass index (BMI) and home 100% juice pantry management predicted 100% juice availability.
- Social support, BMI, and shopping practices predicted home vegetable availability.
Conclusions:
- Family social support is a consistent and important predictor of home availability for fruits, juice, and vegetables.
- Interventions aimed at increasing home availability should consider social support, shopping practices, and potentially BMI.
- Further research with larger sample sizes is needed to validate these findings.
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