The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of parent education on
increasing parental awareness of vegetable servings needed by preschool children,
lowering barriers to increase vegetable consumption in their children's diets, increasing
confidence in their ability to increase vegetables in their children's meals, and promoting
parent-child interaction to increase vegetable consumption by preschool children.
The study was conducted with parents enrolled in the Kid-co Head Start program
in Albany and Corvallis. The study protocol consisted of an experimental (n=10 parents)
and control (n=4 parents) group. Parents in the experimental group attended a family
night event about vegetables on February 13th of 2003. This event was followed by an in-school
activity and a delivery of reinforcement material about vegetables, one week after
family night event took place. Parents in the control group attended a family night event
about healthy snacking on February 13th of 2003. Parents from both groups participated
in a follow-up phone interview.
A high proportion of participants (75%) of the control group were Hispanics. In
the experimental group, 70% were whites and 30% were Hispanics. Levels of education
of participants of both groups ranged from 6 years of school up to college degrees.
Findings revealed vegetable availability in participants' homes. Fresh vegetable
availability in control and experimental group combined ranged from 2 to 7 types of
vegetables, before the intervention, and 2 to 5 types after the intervention. Seventy one
percent of participants of combined experimental and control groups had frozen
vegetables and 85.7% had canned vegetables (before and after the intervention). Daily
vegetable consumption was reported by 64.3% of the parents from both experimental and
control groups combined. A high proportion of parents (71.4%) from combined
experimental and control groups reported that their children eat vegetables every day.
Dinner, lunch and snacks are meals in which children eat most vegetables.
No significant difference was found about parents' awareness of the daily
recommended number of vegetable servings needed by young children between
experimental and control group. Similarly, no significant difference was found in
experimental group responses before and after the intervention. Findings before the
intervention indicate that 50% of participants in the experimental group didn't know the
recommendation needed by young children. After the intervention 10% of participants
responded that they didn't know the recommendation.
No significant difference was found about parents' confidence in their ability to
increase vegetables in their children's diets between control and experimental groups
responses (before and after the intervention). Similarly, no significant difference was
found in experimental group responses before and after the intervention. However, high levels of confidence were reported in both groups. Before the intervention, 75% and 50%
of parents in the control and experimental group respectively, reported they felt "very
confident." After the intervention, 75% and 40% of parents in the control and
experimental group respectively, reported they still felt "very confident."
Before the intervention most participants in both groups reported they have
barriers to increase the amount of vegetables in their children's diets at least sometimes.
The barrier "My child doesn't like vegetables" was reported by 60% of parents in the
experimental group and by 100% in the control group, at least sometimes. "Too much
time to prepare vegetables" was reported by 25% and 10% of participants in the control
and experimental group, respectively. Fifty percent of parents in the control group
indicated they have lack of preparation skills, while only 10% of parents in the
experimental group reported the same barrier. None of participants in the control group
considered "cost of vegetables" a barrier. However, 50% in the experimental group
reported the barrier "cost of vegetables." I can't get satisfactory vegetables" was reported
by 25% and by 40% of participants in the control and experimental group, respectively.
After the intervention, 25% and 30% of parents in the control and experimental
group reported that "Nothing" is consider a barrier. However, "My child doesn't like
vegetables" was a barrier for 50% of parents in the control group and 10% in the
experimental group. Not enough time and energy to cook were barriers reported by 30%
and 20% of participants in the experimental group only. Lack of preparation skills was
reported by 25% of participants in the control group and by 10% in the experimental
group.
Only 20% of parents in the experimental group tried the vegetable recipes
provided in the handouts. However, 90% of parents in the experimental group reported
they tried to give more vegetables to their child since the family event. Ninety percent of
parents reported preparing vegetables with their children. Letting their children choose a
vegetable in the store was another parent-child interaction activity practiced by 60% of
parents from the experimental group. All parents from the experimental group agreed that
our educational material helped them to interact with their children. Ninety percent of
parents agreed it helped to save money and 70% agreed it helped to prepare more
vegetables for their child. Forty percent of parents reported that their child ate more
vegetables after the family event. / Graduation date: 2004
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/27118 |
| Date | 13 June 2003 |
| Creators | Arroyo, Ines R. |
| Contributors | Raab, Carolyn A. |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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