title: Dietary intakes of urban, high body mass index, African American children: family and child dietary attributes predict child intakes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify family and child nutrition and dietary attributes related to children's dietary intakes.
  
  
  METHODS
  African American children (ages 8-11 years, n = 156), body mass index > 85th percentile, from urban, low-income neighborhoods. Baseline, cross-sectional data collected as part of an ongoing diabetes prevention intervention. Dietary intakes were collected by 3-day food diary to assess total energy, percent fat, discretionary fat, added sugar, whole grains, vegetables, fruit, meat, and dairy. Questionnaires on nutrition and dietary attributes administered to children and parents were used to develop 5 diet-related indices: child knowledge, child preferences, child snack habits, child beverage habits, and family food habits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A higher child nutrition knowledge score was significantly related to a lower starchy vegetable intake. Higher scores on the child snack habits index were significantly related to higher intakes of fruit, total fruits and vegetables, total fruits and nonstarchy vegetables, and to lower intakes of added sugars. A higher score on the family food habits index was significantly related to lower intakes of total energy and discretionary fat.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Targeting both child and family food and nutrition attributes may be used to promote more healthful eating among urban, low-income, overweight African American children.
authors.affiliation: The Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Lorrene D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Ritchie
authors.forename: Aarthi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raman
authors.forename: Sushma
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Fitch
authors.forename: Sharon E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Fleming
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D002149:Energy Intake; D005190:Family; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D050177:Overweight; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*