title: Involvement in home meal preparation is associated with food preference and self-efficacy among Canadian children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association between frequency of assisting with home meal preparation and fruit and vegetable preference and self-efficacy for making healthier food choices among grade 5 children in Alberta, Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey design was used. Children were asked how often they helped prepare food at home and rated their preference for twelve fruits and vegetables on a 3-point Likert-type scale. Self-efficacy was measured with six items on a 4-point Likert-type scale asking children their level of confidence in selecting and eating healthy foods at home and at school.
  
  
  METHODS
  Schools (n =151) located in Alberta, Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  Grade 5 students (n = 3398).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A large majority (83-93 %) of the study children reported helping in home meal preparation at least once monthly. Higher frequency of helping prepare and cook food at home was associated with higher fruit and vegetable preference and with higher self-efficacy for selecting and eating healthy foods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Encouraging children to be more involved in home meal preparation could be an effective health promotion strategy. These findings suggest that the incorporation of activities teaching children how to prepare simple and healthy meals in health promotion programmes could potentially lead to improvement in dietary habits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Alberta, 6-50 University Terrace, 8303 112 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. yenli.chu@ualberta.ca
authors.forename: Yen Li
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farmer
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuhle
authors.forename: Kate E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Storey
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Veugelers
mesh_terms: D000416:Alberta; D002648:Child; D003296:Cooking; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005511:Food Handling; D005518:Food Preferences; D005638:Fruit; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D062407:Meals; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D020377:Self Efficacy; D014675:Vegetables