Involvement In Meal Preparation Research Articles

Cooking at Home: Correlates of Frequency and Intention in Fifth Graders.

Cooking at home is associated with health benefits, and 10- and 11-year-old children are capable of participating in meal preparation. However, opportunities for children to cook at home have declined. This study aimed to identify determinants of the frequency and the intention to cook at home in fifth graders using the Theory of Planned Behavior as a framework with quantitative methodology. A total of 241 participants across five elementary schools of the Chaudière-Appalaches region (Quebec, Canada) took part in this correlational study. Data were collected via a self-administered questionnaire based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. Regression analyses led to the identification of determinants of frequency and intention to cook at home. More than two-thirds of participants (69%) declared having cooked at home in the past 7 days. Intention was the only significant variable explaining 18% of the variance for frequency. Intention was determined by perceived behavioral control, attitude, descriptive norms, subjective norms, perceived barriers, being a girl, and normative beliefs, which explain 74% of the variance. Whereas other studies aiming at better understanding children's involvement in meal preparation at home focused on self-efficacy for cooking, this study highlights other behavioral determinants. For example, support from parents appears to be crucial to promote this behavior in this age group. Future research and interventions should be oriented toward determinants such as subjective norms and normative beliefs, and focus on children's autonomy.

Parent, child, and environmental predictors of vegetable consumption in Italian, Polish, and British preschoolers.

This study compared the vegetable intake of preschool children from three European countries [Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom (UK)] and explored the parent, child, and environmental factors that predicted intake in each country. A total of 408 parents of preschoolers (Italy: N = 61, Poland: N = 124, and UK: N = 225; child mean age = 32.2 months, SD = 9.47) completed an online survey comprising a set of standardised questionnaires. For all three countries, the questionnaires included measures of children's vegetable intake (VegFFQ), child eating behaviour (CEBQ-FF), parents' mealtime goals (FMGs), and sociodemographic questions about family background and environment. In the UK and Italy, additional questionnaires were used to assess child temperament (EAS-T) and parents' feeding practices (CFPQ). The results showed that the number of child-sized portions of vegetables consumed per day varied significantly across countries; Polish children consumed the most (∼3 portions) and Italian children the least (∼1.5 portions). Between-country differences were seen in parents' goals for family mealtimes; compared to Italian parents, Polish and UK parents were more motivated to minimise mealtime stress, increase family involvement in meal preparation, and share the same foods with family members. British and Italian parents also adopted different feeding practices; parents in the UK reported more use of healthy modelling behaviours and more use of foods to support their child's emotion regulation. In terms of child factors, Italian children were reported to be more emotional and more sociable than British children. Analyses of the relationships between the parent, child, and environmental factors and children's vegetable intake revealed both similarities and differences between countries. Negative predictors of vegetable intake included child food fussiness in the UK and Poland, child temperament (especially, shyness) in Italy, and the use of food as a reward and child emotionality in the UK. Positive predictors included the parental mealtime goal of 'family involvement' in the UK. These results highlight differences in the extent to which European preschoolers achieve recommended levels of vegetable intake, and in the factors that influence whether they do. The results suggest a need to develop healthy eating interventions that are adopted to meet the specific needs of the countries in which they are implemented.

Always Open, Seven-Eleven: Education Targeting Healthier Food Choices in a High Convenience Store Density Area in Taipei

To enhance children's health, the promotion of nutrition literacy in school is vital as it helps prevent the development of health conditions and diseases and maintain healthy lifestyles. Taiwan features the top highest ratio of convenience stores per population density. Convenience stores, an increasingly popular dining place, were linked to the development of eating behavior and body weight issues in children. An eight-week classroom-based nutrition intervention, employing the Traffic Light Diet as a framework, targeting children's perception of and intention to visit the convenience store was implemented. The study conducted a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest research design with a comparison group. A total of 49 students participated in the study, with 25 in the intervention and 24 in the comparison group. Data were collected by utilizing surveys, interviews, and observations. The study's findings demonstrated the positive trajectory of the impact of this intervention on increasing food-and-nutrition-related knowledge and improving healthier diet choices at convenience stores among children. One main theme was identified in coding interviews: parent involvement in meal preparation may reduce convenience store use and increase consumption of vegetables among children. Assessing the influence of parental support for healthy dietary choices, eating nutritious foods at home, and involving the family in meal preparation is an area for future research.

Perspectives of Black and Hispanic Children Living in Under-Resourced Communities on Meal Preparation and Grocery Shopping Behaviors: Implications for Nutrition Education.

Minority children living in under-resourced communities are at the greatest risk for obesity and poor diet quality. Child involvement in meal preparation may be a helpful strategy to improve diet quality. This paper explores minority children’s perspectives regarding this. Eighteen children participated in a mixed methods study (online surveys, telephone interviews). Descriptive statistics were calculated for child demographic and psychosocial factors. Thematic analysis was used to code and analyze the interviews. Most children reported having cooking experience (83%) and cooking with family (94%) and exhibited high cooking self-efficacy (21.8 ± 2.9) and positive cooking attitudes (25.7 ± 4.4). Children reported helping with meal preparation (50%) and grocery shopping (41%) sometimes. The qualitative data further supported the results obtained from the children’s psychosocial factors. Most children noted the importance of learning to cook with an emphasis on life skills. Children also shared their level of involvement in cooking and grocery shopping. Most children reported using technology when cooking to find demonstration videos and recipes. These findings highlight that minority children participate in meal preparation and grocery shopping. Their perspectives are important for the development of nutrition education programs to achieve equitable dietary outcomes in minority families living in under-resourced communities.

Parent Perspectives of Packing School Lunches

ABSTRACT The study explored parental attitudes and beliefs concerning child involvement in meal preparation, and sending healthy packed lunches to schools. Focus groups (n = 6) and demographic surveys were completed with 27 parents who packed their elementary child’s lunch at least twice a week. Qualitative thematic analysis of transcripts using inductive and deductive approaches were completed. Perceived benefits of packing lunches included food quality, control, and safety. Perceived barriers to involving children in decisions included a child’s attitude, time, mess, and cost. Parents believe child-friendly cookbooks, professional nutrition guidance, and child-inclusive cooking classes are beneficial to support healthy meals.

Child involvement in meal preparation and grocery shopping is associated with lower levels of food fussiness among young children.

This study examined associations between child food involvement and food fussiness. Analyses used survey data from 62 children ages 1.5 to 5.9 years who participated in the Guelph Family Health Study Pilot. Overall involvement (β = -0.51, p = 0.02), involvement in meal preparation (β = -0.42, p = 0.009), and involvement in grocery shopping (β = -0.29, p = 0.04) were inversely associated with food fussiness. Experimental research including larger, more diverse samples is needed to test whether food involvement reduces food fussiness among young children. Novelty: Our study identified significant, inverse associations between child food involvement and food fussiness.

The Effect of Simple Suppers, A Family Meal Program, on The Relationship between Children’s Food Preparation Skills and Their Involvement in Meal Preparation

Abstract Objectives Examine the relationship between children's food preparation skills and their involvement in meal preparation with their caregiver among families participating in a Head Start family meals program (Simple Suppers). Methods Simple Suppers is an 8-week family meals program tailored to low-income caregivers and their preschool age child(ren). The study design is a single arm pre- to post-test, and the intervention is occurring during the 2019–2020 school year (fall, winter, and spring sessions) at 3 Head Start sites. Caregiver lessons focus on overcoming family meal barriers (i.e., meals on a budget, time saving strategies) through interactive group discussions and goal setting. Child lessons focus on age-appropriate food preparation skills through experiential learning. Children's food preparation skills are assessed via a 9-item questionnaire. Questions are situated on a 4-pt Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree (1pt); 4 = strongly agree (4pt)). Child involvement in meal preparation is assessed with a single item scalar question (0–7 times per week). Pearson correlation was used to examine the relationship between child food preparation skills and involvement in meal preparation. Significance was set at P < 0.05. Results 19 families completed data collection for the fall session. 55.6% were low-income according to federal poverty guidelines, mean (SD) caregiver age was 37.6 (12.1), 94.7% were female, and 84.2% were non-Hispanic Black. Mean (SD) child age was 3.4 (0.5) and 47.6% were female. There was a significant association between the change in child food preparation skills and the level of child involvement in meal preparation with their caregiver (r = 0.62, P < 0.01). Conclusions Preliminary data from this study demonstrate that children's food preparation skills influence the extent to which they are involved in preparing family meals with their caregivers. Funding Sources USDA NIFA CYFAR.

Quality matters: A meta-analysis on components of healthy family meals.

A greater frequency of family meals is associated with better diet quality and lower body mass index (BMI) in children. However, the effect sizes are small, and it remains unclear which qualitative components of family meals contribute to these positive health outcomes. This meta-analysis synthesizes studies on social, environmental, and behavioral attributes of family meals and identifies components of family meals that are related to better nutritional health in children. A systematic literature search (50 studies; 49,137 participants; 61 reported effect sizes) identified 6 different components of healthy family mealtimes. Separate meta-analyses examined the association between each component and children's nutritional health. Age (children vs. adolescents), outcome type (BMI vs. diet quality), and socioeconomic status (SES; controlled vs. not controlled for SES) were examined as potential moderators. Positive associations consistently emerged between 5 components and children's nutritional health: turning the TV off during meals (r = .09), parental modeling of healthy eating (r = .12), higher food quality (r = .12), positive atmosphere (r = .13), children's involvement in meal preparation (r = .08), and longer meal duration (r = .20). No moderating effects were found. How a family eats together shows significant associations with nutritional health in children. Randomized control trials are needed to further verify these findings. The generalizability of the identified mealtime components to other contexts of social eating is also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Introducing novel fruits and vegetables: Effects of involving children in artistic plating of food

Enhancing the visual appeal of foods has been suggested as a strategy for promoting healthy food consumption in childhood. Furthermore, several studies have documented a link between children’s involvement in meal preparation and the increased willingness to taste novel fruit and vegetables. However, experimental studies confirming the beneficial effect of children’s involvement in artistic plating on food choices are missing from the literature. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of involving children in creating attractive designs with their foods, on food choices, intake, and mood. A total of 165 children aged between 8 and 12 years participated in the study. Children in the ART condition (n = 56) participated in a workshop dedicated to creating an artistic plate containing four familiar and four unfamiliar foods. Children in the VISUAL (n = 54) and CONTROL conditions (n = 55) participated instead in an unrelated creativity workshop. Afterward, the children were invited to eat the eight food items previously used in the ART workshop, presented either in an artistic manner (ART and VISUAL conditions) or on a regular basis (CONTROL condition). Results showed that the strategies of involving children in artistic plating or merely offering them the same visually appealing afternoon snack lead children to increase the willingness to taste new foods. However, the higher levels of positive mood and dominance reported in the ART condition, lead us to conclude that self-crafting creates positive experiences with unfamiliar foods.

Parent and School-Age Children's Food Preparation Cognitions and Behaviors Guide Recommendations for Future Interventions

ObjectiveTo investigate parent and child food preparation cognitions and behaviors qualitatively to create recommendations for nutrition programs targeting these audiences. DesignFocus groups were conducted in community settings with school-age children (n = 37) and parents (n = 38) in Florida, West Virginia, and New Jersey. SettingCommunity settings in Florida, West Virginia, and New Jersey. ParticipantsSchool-age children (n = 37) and parents (n = 38). Phenomenon of InterestFactors influencing food preparation of school-aged children and their parents to inform Social Cognitive Theory-based recommendations. AnalysisContent analysis. ResultsParents believed that child involvement in meal preparation was important for developing cooking skills, responsibility, and self-esteem, but noted that involvement was limited by time scarcity and concern regarding child safety in the kitchen. Parents recommended having children engage in age-appropriate food preparation activities, such as packing their own snacks. Children echoed parents’ beliefs, stating they would need to know how to cook later in life. Many children acknowledged being a part of meal preparation by setting the table and helping grocery shop. Food preparation's link to improving diet quality was not mentioned by parents or children. To increase involvement, children suggested that parents demonstrate skills, select age-appropriate tasks for them, and reward them for helping. Conclusions and ImplicationsThis research provides insight into parents’ and children's food preparation cognitions (eg, beliefs, attitudes) and behaviors and assembles results into recommendations that may guide decisions during nutrition intervention development and potentially improve nutrition intervention.

Practices and preferences: Exploring the relationships between food-related parenting practices and child food preferences for high fat and/or sugar foods, fruits, and vegetables

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between food-related parenting practices and child fruit, vegetable, and high fat/sugar food preferences. Parents (n = 148) of children (3–7 years old) completed the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire (CFPQ), the Preschool Adapted Food Liking Scale (PALS), and answered demographic questions. Separate linear regressions were conducted to test relationships between the different food categories on PALS (fruits, vegetables, and high fat/sugar foods) and each food-related parenting practice using race, ethnicity, and income level, and child age and gender as covariates. It was found that when a parent allows a child to control eating, it was negatively associated with a child's preference for fruit (β = −0.15, p = 0.032) and parent encouragement of child involvement in meal preparation was positively related to child preference for vegetables (β = 0.14, p = 0.048). Children preferred high fat and sugar foods more if parents used food to regulate child emotions (β = 0.24, p = 0.007), used food as a reward (β = 0.32, p < 0.001), pressured the child to eat more food (β = 0.16, p = 0.045), and restricted unhealthy food (β = 0.20, p = 0.024). Conversely, children preferred high fat and sugar foods less if parents made healthy food available in the home (β = −0.13, p = 0.05), modeled healthy eating in front of the child (β = −0.21, p = 0.021), and if parents explained why healthy foods should be consumed (β = −0.24, p = 0.011). Although it cannot be determined if the parent is influencing the child or vice versa, this study provides some evidence that coercive feeding practices are detrimental to a child's food preferences.

Latino Fathers Promoting Healthy Youth Behaviors

Objective Padres Preparados, Jovenes Saludables is a family-skills intervention for immigrant Latino fathers and youth (10-14 years) to improve youth energy balance-related behaviors and positive parenting practices. Description A randomized-controlled trial (n = 240 youth, 240 fathers, half in an intervention and half in a delayed-intervention control group) is being conducted in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area at five community sites from 2017 – 2020 based on a multi-site staggered implementation schedule. Each of the eight program sessions follows an experiential learning cycle, including activities for families to prepare food and be physically active together, for parents to strengthen positive parenting practices (setting expectations, availability, modeling), and for parents and children to improve diet and physical activity outcomes. The program for the delayed-intervention control group is being delivered via a blended approach with three sessions via a mobile app and five sessions in person with accompanying evaluation procedures. Evaluation Assessments are being made in both arms at baseline and post-program and follow-up (three months post-program). Expected outcomes include improved youth intake of fruits and vegetables (FV), sugary drinks (SSBs), salty snacks/sweets, fast food, physical activity and screen time and related parenting practices. Baseline data from all current participants were examined for associations between youth-reported EBRB-specific parenting practices, father socio-demographic characteristics and family meal frequency. Few significant associations were noted between parenting practices and father socio-demographic characteristics; however, FV and fast food parenting practices were positively associated with family meal frequency and father involvement in meal preparation. Interim data analysis from ∼100 fathers and youth showed that father-reported parenting practices were improved from pre- to post-program for setting expectations for FV, SSBs and physical activity and modeling regarding fruit, fast food and screen time behaviors. Father-reported intakes of FV and SSBs were improved. Conclusion and Implications Interim analysis showed positive findings regarding improvements in father-reported parenting practices and behaviors. Full data collection and analysis are expected to be completed in two years. Funding 2016-68001-24921.

Dietary patterns in weight loss maintenance: results from the MedWeight study.

The dietary habits contributing to weight loss maintenance are not sufficiently understood. We studied weight loss maintainers in comparison with regainers, to identify the differentiating behaviors. The MedWeight study is a Greek registry of weight loss maintainers and regainers. Participants had intentionally lost ≥10% of their weight and either had maintained this loss for over a year, or had regained weight. Questionnaires on demographics and lifestyle habits were completed online. Dietary assessment was carried out by two telephone 24-h recalls. Present analysis focused on 361 participants (32years old, 39% men): 264 maintainers and 97 regainers. Energy and macronutrient intake did not differ by maintenance status (1770±651kcal in maintainers vs. 1845±678kcal in regainers, p=0.338), although protein intake per kg of body weight was higher in maintainers (1.02±0.39 vs. 0.83±0.28g/kg in regainers, p<0.001). Physical activity energy expenditure was greater for maintainers in men (by 1380kcal per week, p=0.016), but not women. Salty snacks, alcohol and regular soda were more frequently consumed by men regainers. Principal component analysis identified a healthy dietary pattern featuring mainly unprocessed cereal, fruit, vegetables, olive oil and low-fat dairy. Male maintainers were 4.6 times more likely to follow this healthy pattern compared to regainers (OR 4.6, 95% CI 2.0-11.0). No similar finding was revealed in women. Other characteristics of maintainers but not of regainers were: involvement in meal preparation and eating at home for men, and a higher eating frequency and slower eating rate for women. Men maintaining weight loss were much more likely to adhere to a healthy eating pattern. Eating at home, involvement in meal preparation, higher eating frequency and slower eating rate were also associated with maintenance. These lifestyle habits of successful maintainers provide target behaviors to improve obesity treatment.

The Impact of Culinary Skills Training on the Dietary Attitudes and Behaviors of Children and Parents

Background: Summer camps can serve as a modality for dietary interventions. However, camp-based strategies that improve dietary behaviors of children are unclear. Poor diet disproportionately affects low-income and minority children, making the examination of camp-based dietary interventions an important focus. Purpose: To assess the impact of a camp's culinary skills sessions on perceptions of child involvement in meal preparation and changes in attitudes and self-efficacy related to cooking. Methods: A mixed-methods design with quantitative pre–post assessments and interviews. Results: Parents positively received the program, especially lessons on kitchen safety. Participants and parents highlighted the camp's focus on healthy eating as important. They also noted increases in participants' enjoyment of cooking, willingness to try new foods, and culinary abilities. Quantitative data showed increases in participants' frequency of involvement in home meal preparation and self-efficacy for culinary skills. Discussion: Incorporating hands-on, culinary training in a summer camp aimed at low-income, minority children was feasible and well accepted, and showed improvements in dietary behaviors. Future studies should focus on increasing parent involvement and incorporating take-home lessons. Translation to Health Education Practice: Hands-on, culinary skills training should be incorporated into camps aimed at dietary change to increase children's self-efficacy and potentially influence home food environments.

HOME Plus: Program design and implementation of a family-focused, community-based intervention to promote the frequency and healthfulness of family meals, reduce children's sedentary behavior, and prevent obesity.

BackgroundInvolvement in meal preparation and eating meals with one’s family are associated with better dietary quality and healthy body weight for youth. Given the poor dietary quality of many youth, potential benefits of family meals for better nutritional intake and great variation in family meals, development and evaluation of interventions aimed at improving and increasing family meals are needed. This paper presents the design of key intervention components and process evaluation of a community-based program (Healthy Home Offerings via the Mealtime Environment (HOME) Plus) to prevent obesity.MethodsThe HOME Plus intervention was part of a two-arm (intervention versus attention-only control) randomized-controlled trial. Ten monthly, two-hour sessions and five motivational/goal-setting telephone calls to promote healthy eating and increasing family meals were delivered in community-based settings in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN metropolitan area. The present study included 81 families (8-12 year old children and their parents) in the intervention condition. Process surveys were administered at the end of each intervention session and at a home visit after the intervention period. Chi-squares and t-tests were used for process survey analysis.ResultsThe HOME Plus program was successfully implemented and families were highly satisfied. Parents and children reported that the most enjoyable component was cooking with their families, learning how to eat more healthfully, and trying new recipes/foods and cooking tips. Average session attendance across the ten months was high for families (68%) and more than half completed their home activities.ConclusionsFindings support the value of a community-based, family-focused intervention program to promote family meals, limit screen time, and prevent obesity.Trial registrationNCT01538615

Exploring Adolescent Involvement in Home Meal Preparation

In low‐income households with multiple children, older siblings may assume adult roles including primary care provider for siblings. A qualitative study was conducted to explore if these adultified roles extended to meal preparation. At the conclusion of a randomized controlled trial involving families on food assistance, if an adolescent (13‐18 years) was present in the home, he or she was invited to participate in a semi‐structured interview. Interviews (n= 19) were analyzed using grounded theory methodology. Seventeen adolescents reported participating in meal preparation at one of three levels of involvement. Many described a low level of assistance, whereas a few described occasionally sharing cooking responsibilities (e.g., cooking for siblings monthly while parent is at work). A few also described themselves as independent food preparers, playing a major role in meal preparation, often more so than their parents. These adolescents were independent out of family obligation and indicated that the additional responsibilities produced stress, although they were confident in their ability to cook without the assistance of an adult. They served as surrogate parents in a utilitarian manner, as their primary goal was getting everyone fed, not necessarily preparing healthy meals. They were focused on preparing foods that siblings preferred which was consistent with parental expectations. Findings suggest that the level of adolescent involvement in meal preparation varies and additional research is needed to further explore the experience of independent adolescent food preparers and the impact on dietary intake of younger siblings. Funding: HFHL Institute, UMN. USDA‐AFRI 2012‐68001‐19631

Involving children in meal preparation. Effects on food intake

The question of how to promote healthy eating habits in children is relevant because most children do not meet the recommended vegetable intake. Involving children in food preparation could be an opportunity to develop healthy eating behaviors and to increase vegetable consumption. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of children's involvement in meal preparation on their food and vegetable intake. A between-subject experiment was conducted with 47 children aged 6 to 10 years. In condition 1 (n = 25), children prepared a lunch meal (pasta, breaded chicken, cauliflower, and salad) with the assistance of a parent. In condition 2 (n = 22), the meal was prepared by the parent alone. Independent samples t-tests were conducted to compare intake in the “child cooks” and “parent cooks” conditions. Children in the child cooks condition ate significantly more salad 41.7 g (76.1%), more chicken 21.8 g (27.0%), and more calories 84.6 kcal (24.4%) than children in the parent cooks condition. Between before cooking and directly after cooking the meal, children in the child cooks condition reported significantly increased feelings of valence (feeling positive) and dominance (feeling in control). This study confirms that involving children in meal preparation can increase vegetable intake. Because of the potential effect on energy intake, parents need to be made aware of appropriate portion sizes for their children. Taking this into account, encouraging parents to involve their children in the preparation of healthy and balanced meals could be a valuable intervention strategy to improve the diets and vegetable intake of children.

Involving children in meal preparation: implications for increasing vegetable intake at home and school (808.9)

The purpose of this study was to test if child involvement in salad preparation increased vegetable intake at school lunch and explore parental barriers and facilitators to child involvement in home meal preparation. Two salad kits (spinach and garden) that children could mix together were offered for school lunch on two occasions in one low‐income elementary school in the Minneapolis metropolitan area. More children took a salad and ate more salad when served as components they could mix together compared to when already mixed, however these increases were not statistically significant. An online survey was developed, pretested, and administered to US adults with children 5‐12 years (n=344) to determine predictors of child involvement in home meal preparation. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that frequency of child involvement was associated with intentions and parent gender while child age and gender, perceptions of barriers, self‐efficacy and environmental support were not associated. The model explained 33% of the variance in child involvement in home meal preparation (P&lt;0.0001). Parents reported that children were involved with meal preparation several times/week and were generally positive about benefits. Understanding the relationship between parental perceptions of child involvement in meal preparation may enhance effectiveness of programs that promote family meal preparation.

Family food involvement and frequency of family dinner meals among Australian children aged 10–12 years. Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations with dietary patterns

Involvement in meal preparation and eating meals with the family are associated with better dietary patterns in adolescents, however little research has included older children or longitudinal study designs. This 3-year longitudinal study examines cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between family food involvement, family dinner meal frequency and dietary patterns during late childhood. Questionnaires were completed by parents of 188 children from Greater Melbourne, Australia at baseline in 2002 (mean age=11.25years) and at follow-up in 2006 (mean age=14.16years). Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to identify dietary patterns. Factor analysis (FA) was used to determine the principal factors from six indicators of family food involvement. Multiple linear regression models were used to predict the dietary patterns of children and adolescents at baseline and at follow-up, 3years later, from baseline indicators of family food involvement and frequency of family dinner meals. PCA revealed two dietary patterns, labeled a healthful pattern and an energy-dense pattern. FA revealed one factor for family food involvement. Cross-sectionally among boys, family food involvement score (β=0.55, 95% CI: 0.02, 1.07) and eating family dinner meals daily (β=1.11, 95% CI: 0.27, 1.96) during late childhood were positively associated with the healthful pattern. Eating family dinner meals daily was inversely associated with the energy-dense pattern, cross-sectionally among boys (β=−0.56, 95% CI: −1.06, −0.06). No significant cross-sectional associations were found among girls and no significant longitudinal associations were found for either gender. Involvement in family food and eating dinner with the family during late childhood may have a positive influence on dietary patterns of boys. No evidence was found to suggest the effects on dietary patterns persist into adolescence.

Involvement in Meal Preparation at Home Is Associated With Better Diet Quality Among Canadian Children

To examine the associations between home meal preparation involvement with diet quality and food group intake among children. Grade 5 children aged 10-11 years (n = 3,398) were surveyed. Food intake was measured using the Harvard Youth/Adolescent Food Frequency Questionnaire, and diet quality was measured using the Diet Quality Index-International. Random effects regression models with children nested within schools were used to test for associations. Higher frequency of involvement in home meal preparation was associated with higher Diet Quality Index-International scores. Children who were involved in meal preparation daily ate 1 more serving/d of vegetables and fruit compared with children who never helped (P < .001). Similar significant differences, although small, were observed for intake of the other food groups. Children who were more involved in home meal preparation also consumed healthier diets. Encouraging parents to involve their children in meal preparation could be a viable health promotion strategy.