Patterns of Food Parenting Practices Regarding Fruit and Vegetables among Parent-Adolescent Dyads.

Abstract

Background: The study's objective was to determine patterns of food parenting practices regarding fruit and vegetables (FV) and their associations with demographic characteristics and dietary intake in parents and adolescents (12-17 years). Methods: Dyadic survey data from Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating, a cross-sectional, Internet-based study, conducted in 2014 were analyzed using latent class analysis. Self-report model covariates included adolescent age and parent and adolescent sex, BMI, FV intake, and FV legitimacy of parental authority (FV-LPA). Results: Based on 1657 parent-adolescent dyads, 5 latent classes were identified representing use of all 6 to use of few FV parenting practices. Parent and adolescent responses agreed in four classes. The high use class was the reference class. Compared with early adolescent dyads, middle adolescent dyads had 58% and 66% lower odds of belonging to moderate and low use classes. Compared with female parent dyads, male parent dyads had over three times greater odds of belonging to low use class. Compared with female adolescent dyads, male adolescent dyads had 44% lower odds of belonging to disagreeing class. The odds of belonging to one of the other four classes were 19%-63% lower for every one cup equivalent increase in parent FV intake. Compared with dyads with high parental or adolescent agreement with FV-LPA, dyads with low agreement had 2.5-7 times the odds of belonging to another class. Conclusions: Distinct patterns of FV parenting practices exist and are associated with parent and adolescent demographic characteristics, dietary intake, and FV-LPA.