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Title: USING MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES TO IDENTIFY PARENTING STRATEGIES FOR HEALTHY FOOD INTAKE IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

Author
item SHEWCHUK, RICHARD - UNIV OF ALABAMA-BIRM
item FRANKLIN, FRANK - UNIV OF ALABAMA-BIRM
item FEESE, MICHELLE - UNIV OF ALABAMA-BIRM
item Nicklas, Theresa
item HUGHES, SHERYL - BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MED
item Baranowski, Thomas

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/27/2004
Publication Date: 3/27/2004
Citation: Shewchuk, R., Franklin, F., Feese, M., Nicklas, T., Hughes, S., Baranowski, T. Using multiple perspectives to identify parenting strategies for healthy food intake in preschool children. Meeting Abstract.

Interpretive Summary: AN INTERPRETIVE SUMMARY IS NOT REQUIRED.

Technical Abstract: Child food intake patterns are learned at early ages, influenced by parents and associated with chronic disease. One intervention approach is to identify and promote those parenting strategies that are associated with healthy food intake. Nominal Group Technique meetings were convened with Hispanic, African-American and White parents (the emic perspective) in Head Start centers in Alabama and Houston and with a national panel of child development and nutrition experts (the etic perspective) to elicit responses to the question What are the ways parents can help their preschool children eat healthy foods? These groups ranked the relative usefulness of the various parenting strategies that were nominated during the meetings. Thirty-six non-redundant ranked responses identified by 8 groups of 8-10 parents, and 15 non-redundant ranked responses were identified by the panel of 9 experts. These responses were combined to produce a single, comprehensive array of 34 distinct parenting strategies: 23 from only the parents, 5 from only the experts and 6 from both sources. Strategies unique to parents included those that reflected restriction/control, negative contingency management, appeal/presentation and positive and negative outcome expectations. Strategies unique to experts reflected child/parent shared responsibility, accessibility, and child learning during meals. Strategies common to both perspectives reflected modeling, availability, child-centeredness, positive contingency management, repeated exposures and meals together. The relationship between child fruit and vegetable intake and the array of parenting strategies will be examined for future intervention.