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Table 1 Descriptive statistics for the variables included in the HEI composite scores (n = 149 families; n = 298 children), mean (SD) for continuous variables and percentage (N) for categorical variables

From: The Home Environment Interview and associations with energy balance behaviours and body weight in school-aged children – a feasibility, reliability, and validity study

Home food environment Mean (SD) or % (N)
Availability
 Number of fruit typesa 9.65 (4.25)
 Number of vegetable typesa 13.58 (4.63)
 Number of energy-dense snack types 6.96 (3.22)
 Number of sugar-sweetened drinks 1.44 (1.05)
Accessibility (visibility)
 Fruit on displaya 95.3 (284)
 Vegetables ready-to-eata 43 (128)
 Energy-dense snacks on display 4.0 (12)
 Sugar-sweetened drinks on display 6.0 (18)
Accessibility (child can help him/herself)
 Fruita 92.6 (276)
 Vegetablesa 94.6 (282)
 Energy-dense snacks 55.4 (165)
 Sugar-sweetened drinks 41.6 (124)
Parental feeding practices
 Emotional feedingb 1.45 (0.47)
 Instrumental feedingb 1.81 (0.53)
 Encouragementa, b 2.28 (0.59)
 Modellinga, b 3.65 (0.68)
 Monitoringa, b 2.44 (0.98)
 Covert restrictiona, b 3.23 (0.89)
 Restrictiona, b 3.52 (1.16)
 Family meal frequency at the table (days per /week) 3.43 (2.18)
 Frequency child eats while watching TV and/or using a device (days per /week) 1.66 (1.09)
Home activity environment
 Garden/outdoor spacea 98.7 (294)
 Garden play equipmenta, d 65.8 (196)
 Allowed to be physically active indoorsa, d, e 4.30 (1.07)
 Allowed to be physically active outdoorsa, d, e 4.76 (0.56)
 Parental modelling of physical activitya 3.97 (0.96)
 Parental support of physical activitya 3.53 (0.77)
Home media environment
 Number of media equipment items in home 15.48 (4.20)
 Number of media equipment in child’s bedroom 1.70 (1.37)
 Caregiver rules around use of media equipmenta,f 2.38 (0.78)
 Maternal time engaged in screen-based viewing (hours/week) 14.26 (8.55)
 Partner time engaged in screen-based viewing (hours/week) 14.94 (9.61)
  1. aVariables identified as being associated with decreased risk for weight gain were reverse scored
  2. bMeasured using a five-point Likert scale (1 = never, 5 = always)
  3. cMeasured using a seven-point Likert scale (1 = not at all, 7 = strictly)
  4. dn = 294 as four children did not have access to a garden or outdoor space
  5. eMeasured using a five-point Likert scale (1 = never; 5 = all the time)
  6. f(0 = no rules, 1 = rules around one device, 2 = rules around two devices, 3 = rules around 3 or more devices)
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International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity

ISSN: 1479-5868

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