Habit Formation for Parenting Practices Designed to Change Youth Vegetable Intake

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate habit formation for parenting practices to improve child vegetable intake. Study Design: Within group, pre-/post- test design, low-income parent/child pairs (n = 44). Six practices intended to be implemented at home to encourage child vegetable consumption were incorporated into 6 Cooking Matters for Families classes. Outcome Measures and Analysis: Habit strength was measured one week after introduction and immediately post-intervention using a Self-Report Habit Index. Paired t-tests were used to compare habit strength for the 6 strategies. Multiple regression models were created for each strategy to determine associations between habit strength and environmental, behavioral, and individual factors. Results: Habit strength increased from post-introduction to post-intervention for 3 practices. Four mediating variables significantly predicted habit strength. Conclusions: This approach was effective in helping parents develop habitual practices to encourage vegetable consumption among children. Further evaluation is needed to determine whether these habitual practices can improve child vegetable intake.