This research explores a different view of the picky or fussy eater. Although occupational therapists and speech therapists are aware that children with sensory defensiveness and specific tactile defensiveness have different eating habits, this has not been described before.

published_or_final_version / Public Health / Master / Master of Public Health

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The self-efficacy construct has been determined to be an effective method of stimulating desired eating behavior in diabetics and obese adults and exercise behaviors in pulmonary rehabilitation patients. Although the self-efficacy construct has been shown to mediate eating habits, practical classroom application of the construct has been rarely used in this area. A review of literature indicated that no studies have been reported on the effect of self-efficacy on food-related behaviors of children. The primary purpose of this research was to determine if, and to what extent, self-efficacy predicts changes in food choices of fifth-grade children. The effect of self-perceptions of competence on the nutrition knowledge of children after a nutrition education intervention program was also assessed. Forty-five fifth-grade children in two classrooms participated in this study. Their self-perception profile, food choices, nutrition knowledge, and food acceptance were measured both before and after the nutrition education unit. A 25 item nutrition knowledge questionnaire was also administered to the children before and after the nutrition education program. Change in knowledge in the cognitive domain was measured by differences in scores on the nutrition knowledge pretest and posttest. Students kept five-day food records for the school lunch items consumed. The fruit and vegetable intakes of the students were estimated from these food records. Chi-square analyses were performed on the data to determine the relationship between self-efficacy as the independent variable and change in food choices, and food acceptance and change in nutrition knowledge as the dependent variables. The 3 x 3 contingency tables indicated that there were no significant relationships between selfefficacy and change in food choices, food acceptance and nutrition knowledge. The findings provide limited support for the usefulness of the self-efficacy construct in understanding and predicting eating behavior change. It is recommended that further investigations of the predictive capability of the self-efficacy expectancy be conducted in children of this age group to better understand its relationship with food choices and implications for nutrition education for school children. / Graduation date: 1994

A study of human eating behavior in laboratory and natural environments was undertaken to answer three questions: (1) Do manifestly obese subjects (Manifestly Obese, MO), non-obese restrained eaters (Latent Obese, LO), and non-obese non-restrained eaters (Normal, NM) differ in specific short-term intake behaviors as measured in the laboratory? (2) Do the three groups differ in self-reported 14-day habitual energy intake patterns? (3) Are there systematic variations of energy consumption within and outside the laboratory in subject groups? Twenty two adult female subjects were assigned to three groups and studied in both settings. The purpose of the laboratory study was to investigate the effects of energy content and sweet taste on subsequent consumption behaviors of a variety of palatable foods. All subjects thought they were participating in a taste panel. The protocols were designed to minimize cognitive cues on amount eaten. Laboratory results showed that all subjects adjusted subsequent energy intake according to the energy content of a preload given half an hour before. However, the groups responded to the sweet taste in the preload differently. The LO consistently lowered energy intake of testmeal after a sweet preload. They overestimated their own consumption most of the time, and deviated even further with sweet taste stimulus. The MO and NM groups did not exhibit these responses. Results of self-reported 14-day dietary records showed that the LO had the highest daily variation of energy intake, the most intake from evening meals, and the greatest within group variation among the three subject groups. Comparison of mean and variation of energy intake within and outside the laboratory suggested that the observed consumption of the LO subjects in the laboratory was the least representative of the habitual intake, while that of the NM group was a satisfactory measure. These systematic group differences in two settings could be due to differential degrees of externality, measurement errors, or reactivity to measurement procedures.

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The relationship of Saturday morning television food commercials viewed and the food consumption of third graders in the Franklin County Community School Corporation in Franklin County, Indiana, was investigated. Such information should help parents, dietitians, and teachers educate children, ultimately producing a healthier population. The results of this study could possibly assist the federal agencies revise guidelines to help protect the children.The independent variable measured was food commercials viewed on Saturday morning; the dependent variable was food consumed. The instrument was designed, pilot-tested, and administered by the researcher with subjects’ identities remaining anonymous.Following data collection, the relationship between the variables was tested using phi coefficient. The phi value of .470 was considered to be significant beyond the .05 level to .00000 level. It was concluded that foods viewed on television are significantly correlated with foods consumed. / Department of Home Economics

The purposes of this study were: (1) to determine the relationship between participants' health orientations and their nutrition knowledge, beliefs, and behavior before participation in the Red Cross nutrition course, Better Eating for Better Health, (2) to determine whether the differences between participants' pretest and posttest scores for nutrition knowledge, beliefs, and behavior were significant and positive, (3) to determine whether participant:s pretest scores for nutrition knowledge, beliefs, and behavior were significantly and negatively rela-r.ed to their respective change scores, and, (4) to determine whether participants' nutrition knowledge, beliefs, and behavior change scores can be predicted on the basis of their health orientations. A pretest-posttest design was used. A health orientations instrument consisted of three scales: health behavior, health locus of control, and health incentives. Participants' health orientations were assessed before participation in the course. Pre- and posttest measures were taken of the nutrition knowledge, beliefs, and behavior of the participants. The age, level of household income, and number of years of education of participants were used as control variables. Results indicated that health locus of control and income was positively and significantly related to pretest nutrition knowledge. All three health orientations variables were significantly and positively associated to pretest nutrition beliefs. Positive health behavior, positive health incentives and age were significantly and positively correlated with pretest nutrition behavior. Significant and positive differences were observed between the pre- and posttest scores for nutrition knowledge, beliefs, and behavior. Pretest scores for nutrition knowledge, beliefs, and behavior were significantly and negatively related to the respective change scores. Health locus of control, age, and income were significant predictors of nutrition beliefs change scores. Collectively, the predictor and control variables accounted for 52 percent of the variation in nutrition beliefs change scores. Health behavior and income were significant predictors of nutrition behavior change scores. The joint effect of the predictor and control variables accounted for 53 percent of the variation in nutrition behavior change scores. / Ph. D.

This research project investigated the influences of a supermarket intervention on the food choices of parents and their children. Twenty-four families (11 experimental; 13 control) participated in this study. They used the NLS weekly when they completed their major shopping. The NLS was a public access, interactive information system located in the supermarket which provided users with information and feedback about how to decrease fat and increase fiber in their food purchases. During the intervention, participants in the experimental condition viewed a different videodisc program each week. In addition, they were able to enter their intended shopping purchases for each weekly shopping, and receive feedback about the items they intended to purchase. Control participants entered their intended purchases, but received no information or feedback. All participants sent in their detailed supermarket receipts. The NLS phases included baseline, intervention, and follow up. Families with children ages 8-15 years were recruited for the family study. Participants were interviewed pre- and post-assessment. One target child was selected from each family. The main family study measures were the Card Sorting Task (CST) and the Food History Questionnaire (FHQ). The CST used pictures of food items. The FHQ was used to evaluate the usual diet over one month. The CST task was analyzed with a Wilcoxon test; the FHQ task was analyzed with an ANCOVA, using the pre-assessment score as the covariate. The results indicated that experimental participants reported an increase in their consumption of low-fat dairy products and low-fat fruit (FHQ data). In addition, experimental participants reported a decrease in their behavior, preference and knowledge for high-fat snacks and and high-fat entrees (CST data). The results suggested that parents and their children may be positively affected by a public-access interactive videodisc information system directed to parent use. Overall, the results provided some evidence that parents who are involved in a nutrition intervention also will influence their children's food choices. Future research should further evaluate the effects of the intervention on different food categories and continue to investigate how changes in certain food choices affect other choices. Variables relating to health beliefs, types of foods to change, meal preparations, family characteristics, and behavior strategies all must be considered in future intervention programming. / Ph. D.

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