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Table 2 Item pool and endorsement for structural and verbal mealtime strategies

From: About feeding children: factor structure and internal reliability of a survey to assess mealtime strategies and beliefs of early childhood education teachers

 

% Endorsement

Structural Mealtime Structures

 When children are very thin, I serve them more of everything.a

10.5

 To help children eat, I start feeding them.a

17.1

 If picky children don’t want to eat, I start feeding them so they get interested.a

21.2

 I don’t let them have seconds of other foods until they try the new food.

25.5

Both children and staff pass the food.

31.3

 To help children eat, I serve sweet food after they eat the rest of the food on their plates.

35.7

 If picky children don’t want to eat, I wait to serve them sweet foods if they do not eat something from their plate.

40.2

 The children have to take at least one bite.

42.5

 I have the children try the food before they can have sweet foods.

43.9

I sit with the children at mealtime.

48.1

When children are served new food, I try the new food all of the time.

53.3

I eat the same food as children at mealtime.

53.6

 I have the children eat one bite of each food.

53.8

 I have the children finish their meal before eating sweet foods.

54.8

 When children are very thin, I offer them more of the foods they like.

56.4

 If children do not want to stop eating, I try to distract them with another activity.

61.7

Children are involved in serving themselves at mealtime.

65.1

 I have the children eat nutritious food before “junk” food.a

82.3

I let children decide how much to eat.a

83.3

I try the new food with the children.a

86.4

I offer new foods at mealtime or snack time.a

87.7

 If children do not want to stop eating, I send them away from the table.a

91.9

Verbal Mealtime Strategies

 I never ask children if they want more to eat.a

5.4

 I never encourage children to eat the amount I think they need.a

14.0

 To help children eat, I point out other children who are eating more.

31.4

 If children do not want to stop eating, I ask if their tummy is full.

33.8

 I tell the children if they have not eaten enough.

39.8

 If picky children don’t want to eat, I let them know they don’t have to eat.

49.3

 I say something like “Pat is eating green beans. Why don’t you eat some?”

50.2

 If children do not want to stop eating, I explain that they need to leave enough for everyone

50.7

 If picky children don’t want to eat, I tell them to take at least one bite of everything.

55.9

 When children are very thin, I praise them for eating to get them to eat more.

56.4

 To help children eat, I suggest that they need to eat more.

57.9

 If picky children don’t want to eat, I ask if their tummy is full.

58.9

 If picky children don’t want to eat, I suggest that they start eating what is on their plate.

64.8

 If children do not want to stop eating, I tell them they can’t have more of some foods.

67.2

I ask children if their stomach are full.

69.7

I talk about food at mealtime.a

82.0

 I notice and comment to the child who is eating well.a

84.7

I teach the children about new foods.a

85.3

 If children do not want to stop eating, I tell them they can’t have any more to eat.a

87.2

 If picky children don’t want to eat, I ask them to eat something on their plate.a

87.4

 I ask the children to take a bite.a

90.5

 To help children eat, I explain to the children that the food will make them grow and be healthy.a

96.1

  1. aItems dropped from further analyses because of limited variability defined as > 75% selecting one response option. Italics are used to indicate items conceived as best practice