title: Do food-related experiences in the first 2 years of life predict dietary variety in school-aged children?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if food-related experiences in the first 2 years of life predict dietary variety in school-aged children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Child/mother pairs were interviewed 7 or 8 times when children were 2 to 24 months using a randomized incomplete block design to schedule interviews. Each child/mother pair was interviewed when the child was ages 6, 7, and 8 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Child/mother pairs (n = 70) were continuous participants in the longitudinal study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dependent variables were children's vegetable and fruit dietary variety, assessed from 3 days of dietary data at ages 6, 7, and 8 years. Independent variables from the first 2 years of life were selected from the longitudinal data set.
  
  
  METHODS
  General linear models. Adjustments for age that vegetables (or fruits) were introduced in the diet.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vegetable variety in the school-aged child was predicted by mother's vegetable preferences, R2 =.084. Fruit variety in the school-aged child was predicted by breast-feeding duration and either early fruit variety (R2 =.254) or fruit exposure (R2 =.246).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nutrition education messages for mothers should emphasize the importance of early food-related experiences to school-aged children's acceptance of a variety of vegetables and fruits.
authors.affiliation: Nutrition Department, University of Tennessee, Knoxville 37996-1920, USA. skinner@utk.edu
authors.forename: Jean D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Skinner
authors.forename: Betty Ruth
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Carruth
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bounds
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ziegler
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reidy
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D004032:Diet; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology*; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016014:Linear Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014675:Vegetables