title: Determinants of middle-school students asking parents for fruits and vegetables: a theory-based salient belief elicitation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite the benefits of fruit and vegetable intake, many young Americans do not consume them at adequate levels. The present study sought to determine the beliefs that children have about asking their parents to have fruits and vegetables available at home in order to better understand the role children may play in influencing their own fruit and vegetable consumption.
  
  
  METHODS
  An instrument utilizing the Reasoned Action Approach, with closed-ended questions on demographic and behavioural variables and open-ended questions eliciting the belief structure underlying asking parents to make fruits and vegetables available, was distributed. Thematic and frequency analyses were performed for open-ended questions. Statistical analyses were conducted to assess differences between children who had v. had not asked for fruits and vegetables.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three middle schools in rural Indiana, U.S.A.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sub-sample of sixty students aged 12–15 years from a larger study of 344 students.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Qualitative analysis identified benefits (i.e., make me healthier; make parents happy), disadvantages (i.e., will upset my parents) and strategies (i.e., asking when you are at the store) that could be used to improve fruit and vegetable intake. Findings also revealed that students who asked their parents for fruits and vegetables were significantly more likely to perform several healthy eating and physical activity behaviours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data suggest that young people’s view of parental reactions is critical. While additional research is necessary, the findings support a role for children in shaping their own environment and suggest multilevel interventions that simultaneously address parents and children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Health Science, Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, 1025 East 7th Street, HPER 116, Bloomington, IN 47405-7109, USA.
authors.forename: Susan E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Middlestadt
authors.forename: Alyssa M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lederer
authors.forename: Nicole K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Darleesa
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Doss
authors.forename: Chia-Ling
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Laurel D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.forename: Alyce D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Fly
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001290:Attitude; D002648:Child; D003469:Culture; D004032:Diet / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D007196:Indiana; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents; D010465:Perception; D011582:Psychological Theory; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D002666:Psychology, Child; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012424:Rural Population; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014675:Vegetables