Change in the family food environment is associated with positive dietary change in children

Table 1 Baseline and change scores for parental and family covariates and child outcomes

Family food environment variables	Maximum possible score	Cronbach alpha (α)	Baseline¹		Change²
			Mean	SD	Mean	SD	Min	Max	Effect Size³
Model 2: Knowledge and attitudes
Dairy messages	3		1.3	0.9	0.5	1.1	-2.0	3.0	0.43
Nutrition knowledge	113	0.81	75	12	3	8	-29	21	0.33
Perceived responsibility	5	0.94	4.2	0.9	0.0	0.8	-2.0	4.0	0.00
Perceived fresh food availability	5	0.81	4.2	0.6	-0.1	0.6	-1.5	2.0	-0.09
Perceived adequacy of child's diet	5	0.93	3.9	0.8	0.0	0.6	-1.0	4.0	0.08
Parent’s meal preparation views	5	0.78	3.8	0.6	-0.1	0.6	-2.4	1.2	-0.16
Concern for weight	5	0.87	2.3	1.2	-0.1	0.9	-3.0	4.0	-0.13
Model 3: Parent shaping practices
Teaching and encouraging child about food	5	0.80	4.2	0.4	0.0	0.4	-0.8	1.2	-0.06
Restriction	5	0.81	3.4	0.9	0.1	0.8	-1.5	3.8	0.07
Pressure to eat	5	0.72	2.5	1.0	-0.2	0.8	-2.8	2.3	-0.20
Monitoring	5	0.96	4.0	0.9	-0.1	0.7	-2.0	2.3	-0.14
Model 4: Parent behaviours and role modelling
Food involvement	7	0.62	5.0	0.6	0.0	0.7	-2.7	3.5	0.05
Family involvement in meal preparation	5	0.60	2.6	0.6	-0.1	0.4	-1.3	1.0	-0.19
Role modelling eating behaviours	5	0.83	4.1	0.7	0.0	0.4	-0.8	1.6	-0.03
TV interruptions to meals	5	0.87	2.7	1.4	-0.2	0.7	-3.5	2.0	-0.24
Energy (kJ)			8040	1721	-256	1573	-3985	5158	-0.16
Saturated fat (% of energy)			15.3	2.7	-2.1	3.7	-13	5	-0.57

¹ Baseline differences between treatment groups was assessed using Independent t test. *Significance p<0.05.
² Change=follow-up minus baseline. Therefore a positive change value reflects an increase from baseline to follow-up.
³ Effect size estimate = mean change/change in SD [30].

ISSN: 1479-5868