Parent food purchases as a measure of exposure and preschool-aged children's willingness to identify and taste fruit and vegetables.
This study explored whether parents who purchase more fruit/vegetables have preschool-aged children who are able to identify fruit/vegetables and in turn are more likely to consume them. Sixty-two parent-child pairs were recruited during a 4-month period. The data collection included a child interview, a parent/guardian interview, a fruit/vegetable taste test for children, and a month-long food-receipt collection by the parent/guardian. As the percentage of fruit/vegetables purchased by parent increased, the child was more likely to accept all of the fruit/vegetables offered to him/her. A weak correlation was found between the child's ability to name fruit/vegetables and their willingness to try the fruit/vegetables offered. A trend was established between the child's ability to name the 10 fruits/vegetables and parent fruit/vegetable purchases. Parents who purchased the most fruit/vegetables, causing increased exposure, had children who were more willing to taste the fruit/vegetables offered to them.
Washtenaw County Health and Human Services, 555 Towner, Ypsilanti, MI 48197, USA. busickd@ewashtenaw.org
Deborah Brzys
DB
Busick
Judith
J
Brooks
Sandra
S
Pernecky
Rebecca
R
Dawson
Joy
J
Petzoldt
D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004435:Eating; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology*; D005523:Food Supply; D005638:Fruit; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology; D014675:Vegetables