title: Clustering of food and activity preferences in primary school children.
abstract: This study examined clustering of food and activity preferences in Dutch primary school children. It also explored whether the preference clusters are associated with child and parental background characteristics and with parenting practices. Data were used from 1480 parent-child dyads participating in the IVO Nutrition and Physical Activity Child cohort (INPACT). Children aged 8-11years reported their preferences for food (e.g. fruit and sweet snacks) and activities (e.g. biking and watching television) at school with a newly-developed, visual instrument designed for primary school children. Parents completed a questionnaire at home. Principal component analysis was used to identify preference clusters. Backward regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between child and parental characteristics with cluster scores. We found (1) a clustering of preferences for unhealthy foods and unhealthy drinks, (2) a clustering of preferences for various physical activity behaviours, and (3) a clustering of preferences for unhealthy drinks and sedentary behaviour. Boys had a higher cluster score than girls on all three preference clusters. In addition, physical activity-related parenting practices were negatively related to unhealthy preference clusters and positively to the physical-activity-preference cluster. The next step is to relate our preference clusters to child dietary and activity behaviours, with special attention to gender differences. This may help in the development of interventions aimed at improving children's food and activity preferences.
authors.affiliation: IVO Addiction Research Institute, Heemraadssingel 194, 3021 DM Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Erasmus Medical Center, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: rodenburg@ivo.nl.
authors.forename: Gerda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rodenburg
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oenema
authors.affiliation: IVO Addiction Research Institute, Heemraadssingel 194, 3021 DM Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marleen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pasma
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Stef P J
authors.initials: SPJ
authors.lastname: Kremers
authors.affiliation: IVO Addiction Research Institute, Heemraadssingel 194, 3021 DM Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Erasmus Medical Center, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Health Promotion, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Dike
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van de Mheen
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004032:Diet; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology*; D058870:Food, Organic; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D009426:Netherlands; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D062410:Snacks; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014675:Vegetables