Associations between Maternal Concern for Healthful Eating and Maternal Eating Behaviors, Home Food Availability, and Adolescent Eating Behaviors
Abstract
Objective
Evaluate the relationship between maternal concern for healthful eating and maternal and adolescent dietary intake, eating behavior, and home food environment.
Design
Mothers of a subsample of adolescents who participated in a school-based survey (Project Eating Among Teens [EAT]) completed telephone interviews.
Participants
Seven hundred fourteen mother–adolescent pairs.
Variables Measured
Mothers responded to a question regarding how much they are personally concerned with eating healthfully, and adolescents responded to a question regarding perceptions of their mothers’ concern about eating healthfully. Dependent variables included adolescent and parent food intake and home food environment.
Analysis
Multinomial cumulative logistic regression models, adjusted for maternal race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), and adolescent grade level.
Results
A positive association was found between maternal concern for healthful eating and maternal fruit and vegetable intake, maternal breakfast and lunch consumption, and serving fruits and vegetables in the home. Maternal concern for healthful eating (as reported by mothers) was not associated with adolescent behavior. Adolescent perception of maternal concern for healthful eating was positively associated with adolescent fruit and vegetable intake.
Conclusions and Implications
Mother’s concern for healthful eating is associated with maternal eating behavior and the home food environment. Adolescent perceptions of maternal attitudes are a stronger predictor than actual maternal attitudes of adolescent behavior. Parents should be encouraged to share their beliefs regarding the importance of healthful eating with their adolescents.
1Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
2Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Author for correspondence: Kerri Boutelle, PhD, LP, Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health, University of Minnesota, 200 Oak St SE, Suite 160, Minneapolis, MN 55455; Phone: (612) 626-2633; Fax: (612) 624-0997
This manuscript was developed when Robyn W. Birkeland was a fellow at the University of Minnesota and is supported in part through funds from the Leadership Education in Adolescent Health (LEAH) Fellowship Training Program, University of Minnesota (grant 1-T71-MC00025-01, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, DHHS). This study was supported by grant MCJ-27034 (D. Neumark-Sztainer, principal investigator) from the Maternal and Child Health Program (Title V, Social Security Act), Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services.
ABSTRACT