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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #282637
Title: Smart phone video game simulation of parent-child interaction: Learning skills for effective vegetable parenting

Author
item BARANOWSKI, TOM - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item O'CONNOR, TERESIA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item HUGHES, SHERYL - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item BELTRAN, ALICIA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item BARANOWSKI, JANICE - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item NICKLAS, THERESA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item SLEDDENS, ESTER - Maastricht University
item Thompson, Deborah - Debbe
item LU, AMY - Northwestern University
item BUDAY, RICHARD - Archimage, Inc

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/13/2011
Publication Date: 7/31/2012
Citation: Baranowski, T., O'Connor, T., Hughes, S., Beltran, A., Baranowski, J., Nicklas, T., Sleddens, E., Thompson, D., Lu, A.S., Buday, R. 2012. Smart phone video game simulation of parent-child interaction: Learning skills for effective vegetable parenting. In Arnab, S., Dunwell, I., Debattista, K., editors. Serious Games for Healthcare: Applications and Implications. Hershey, PA: Medical Information Science Reference. p. 248-265.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Higher levels of vegetable intake have been associated with decreased risks of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, several cancers, and possibly obesity, but vegetable intake is generally low. Preference is an important determinant of vegetable intake, and food preferences are initiated early in life, but parents of preschoolers commonly report difficulties in getting their child to eat, or even taste, vegetables. What parents do to get their child to do something in a specific context (such as eating, homework, or chores) has been labeled "parenting practices". Based on research on parenting practices (effective and ineffective) related to preschoolers' vegetable consumption (hereinafter called vegetable parenting), a smart phone application (app) game prototype was developed to help parents of preschool children use effective vegetable parenting practices. This chapter presents the extensive formative research, describes the game app, and explains the behavioral science foundation.