title: Longitudinal relations between observed parenting behaviors and dietary quality of meals from ages 2 to 5.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Parents influence a child's diet by modeling food choices, selecting the food they make available, and controlling the child's intake. Few studies have examined the covariation between parent's behavior management practices and their guidance and support for a young child's nutritional environment in early childhood. We hypothesized that parents' positive behavior support (PBS), characterized as skillful behavior management and proactive structuring of children's activities, would predict dietary quality over the course of early childhood (age 2 to 5 years), a critical period for the development of a dietary lifestyle.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants included 731 culturally diverse, low-income families in a randomized, controlled trial of the Family Check-Up. Families participated in a yearly home visit videotaped assessment PBS and dietary quality of meals parents served to their children were assessed by coding videotapes of structured parent-child interactions. A cross-lagged panel model was used to evaluate the longitudinal relation between PBS and the dietary quality of meals served during a meal preparation task.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analyses revealed that PBS repeatedly predicted meals' dietary quality the following year: age 2-3 (β = .30), age 3-4 (β = 0.14), age 4-5 (β = 0.37). Dietary quality significantly predicted PBS 1 year later: age 3-4 (β = 0.16), age 4-5 (β = 0.14). As expected, the relative strength of the relationship from PBS to dietary quality was significantly stronger than the reverse, from dietary quality to PBS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Positive behavior management and proactive parenting practices are an important foundation for establishing a healthy nutritional environment for young children. These findings suggest that family-centered prevention interventions for pediatric obesity may benefit from targeting PBS in service of promoting better dietary quality.
authors.affiliation: Prevention Research Center, Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, 900 S. McAllister Rd., Tempe, AZ 85287-1104, USA. Electronic address: zorash.montano@asu.edu.
authors.forename: Zorash
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Montaño
authors.affiliation: Prevention Research Center, Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, 900 S. McAllister Rd., Tempe, AZ 85287-1104, USA.
authors.forename: Justin D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Prevention Research Center, Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, 900 S. McAllister Rd., Tempe, AZ 85287-1104, USA; Child and Family Center, University of Oregon, 1600 Millrace Suite 106, 6217, Eugene, Oregon 97403-6217, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Dishion
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Sennott Square Building, University of Pittsburgh, Room 4101 210 South Bouquet Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15260-0001, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, 102 Gilmer Hall, PO BOX 400400, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4400, USA.
authors.forename: Melvin N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D063427:Food Quality; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D062407:Meals; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Dietary quality; Early childhood; Eating behavior; Positive parenting