{"title":"Parental norms and attitudes in Relation to Children’s sugar consumption − A mediation analysis of the “Are You Too Sweet?” intervention study","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.foodqual.2024.105353","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Parental influence on children’s dietary behaviour makes parents an obvious target for prevention strategies with nutritional foci. Mediation analysis is considered a valuable tool for understanding the underlying mechanisms of influence in intervention studies aimed at implementing behaviour change strategies.</div><div>The present study used data from the multi-component cluster-randomised intervention “Are You Too Sweet?” with 153 Danish children (5–7 years) to explore mediating effects and role of parental determinants on added sugar intake in children.</div><div>A pre-and post-intervention questionnaire evaluated parental knowledge, practices, self-efficacy, norms, and attitudes. Children’s dietary intake was estimated from a seven-day dietary record. Associations between children’s added sugar intake and parental responses and changes in responses following the intervention were evaluated using linear mixed models. Exploring potential behaviour change pathways of the intervention was done using mediation analyses.</div><div>Children’s reduction in added sugar consumption was partly mediated by changes in parental norms and attitudes regarding limiting sugar-rich foods and drinks to special occasions. Parental knowledge of guidelines on the intake of sugar-rich discretionary foods and drinks increased as an intervention effect but did not demonstrate a mediating effect. No significant changes or mediating effects were found in parental self-efficacy or practices.</div><div>The findings highlight parental norms and attitudes regarding restricting sugar-rich foods and drinks to special occasions as modifiable and a mediator for reducing added sugar intake in the “Are You Too Sweet?” intervention study.</div><div><strong>Trial registration:</strong> Retrospectively registered at ISRCTN: ISRCTN10409779.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":322,"journal":{"name":"Food Quality and Preference","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.9000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Food Quality and Preference","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950329324002556","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Parental influence on children’s dietary behaviour makes parents an obvious target for prevention strategies with nutritional foci. Mediation analysis is considered a valuable tool for understanding the underlying mechanisms of influence in intervention studies aimed at implementing behaviour change strategies.
The present study used data from the multi-component cluster-randomised intervention “Are You Too Sweet?” with 153 Danish children (5–7 years) to explore mediating effects and role of parental determinants on added sugar intake in children.
A pre-and post-intervention questionnaire evaluated parental knowledge, practices, self-efficacy, norms, and attitudes. Children’s dietary intake was estimated from a seven-day dietary record. Associations between children’s added sugar intake and parental responses and changes in responses following the intervention were evaluated using linear mixed models. Exploring potential behaviour change pathways of the intervention was done using mediation analyses.
Children’s reduction in added sugar consumption was partly mediated by changes in parental norms and attitudes regarding limiting sugar-rich foods and drinks to special occasions. Parental knowledge of guidelines on the intake of sugar-rich discretionary foods and drinks increased as an intervention effect but did not demonstrate a mediating effect. No significant changes or mediating effects were found in parental self-efficacy or practices.
The findings highlight parental norms and attitudes regarding restricting sugar-rich foods and drinks to special occasions as modifiable and a mediator for reducing added sugar intake in the “Are You Too Sweet?” intervention study.
Trial registration: Retrospectively registered at ISRCTN: ISRCTN10409779.
期刊介绍:
Food Quality and Preference is a journal devoted to sensory, consumer and behavioural research in food and non-food products. It publishes original research, critical reviews, and short communications in sensory and consumer science, and sensometrics. In addition, the journal publishes special invited issues on important timely topics and from relevant conferences. These are aimed at bridging the gap between research and application, bringing together authors and readers in consumer and market research, sensory science, sensometrics and sensory evaluation, nutrition and food choice, as well as food research, product development and sensory quality assurance. Submissions to Food Quality and Preference are limited to papers that include some form of human measurement; papers that are limited to physical/chemical measures or the routine application of sensory, consumer or econometric analysis will not be considered unless they specifically make a novel scientific contribution in line with the journal''s coverage as outlined below.