Table 6 Items and factor loadings from an exploratory four factor solution of habit toward use of vegetable parenting practices and confirmatory factor analysis model fit criteria

Habit of active child involvement in vegetable selection: “Without thinking about it I…”

…ask my child to help select vegetables at the grocery store.

…ask my child to help with vegetable preparation.

…ask my child to choose the vegetables for meals and snacks.

…allow my child to serve themselves vegetables.

…serve several vegetables and let my child decide which one they would eat.

…place vegetables where my child can easily reach them.

Habit of controlling vegetable practices: “Without thinking about it I…”

…yell at my child for not eating their vegetables.

…keep my child from going to play if they don’t eat their vegetables.

…reward my child with sweets if they eat their vegetables.

…tell my child how much effort it took to make the vegetable dish.

…keep my child from having sweets if they don’t finish their vegetables.

Habit of positive vegetable environment: “Without thinking about it I…”

…include vegetables with most meals.

…show my child that I enjoy eating vegetables.

…serve meals for my family to eat together.

Habit of positive vegetable communications: “Without thinking about it I…”

…praise my child when I see them eat vegetables.

…tell my child eating vegetables will make them strong and healthy.

…tell my child that vegetables taste good.

…encourage my child to try a couple of bites of a vegetable.

…tell my child that their favorite cartoon characters eat vegetables.

Eigenvalue

Variance explained

Habit of active child involvement in v selection

Habit of controlling v practices

Habit of positive v environment

Habit of positive v communications

Model fit indices from a four factor confirmatory factor analysis

X ²

df

p

RMSEA

SRMR

CFI

TLI

Item not included in a final solution

Without thinking about it I…allow my child to drink sweet drinks.