Associations between maternal concern for healthful eating and maternal eating behaviors, home food availability, and adolescent eating behaviors.
OBJECTIVE
Evaluate the relationship between maternal concern for healthful eating and maternal and adolescent dietary intake, eating behavior, and home food environment.


METHODS
Mothers of a subsample of adolescents who participated in a school-based survey (Project Eating Among Teens [EAT]) completed telephone interviews.


METHODS
Seven hundred fourteen mother-adolescent pairs.


METHODS
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.


METHODS
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
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.
Boutelle
Kerri N
KN
Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA. boutelle@umn.edu
Birkeland
Robyn W
RW
Hannan
Peter J
PJ
Story
Mary
M
Neumark-Sztainer
Dianne
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001835:Body Weight; D004032:Diet / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004034:Diet Surveys; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005502:Food / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005523:Food Supply; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008910:Minnesota; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors