School
School of Public Health
Document Type
Dissertation
Department (new version)
Public Health
Date of Award
1996
Degree Name by School
Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) School of Public Health
Abstract
As adequate fruit and vegetable consumption appears to offer benefits for cancer prevention, dietary improvements are an important method of risk reduction. Children often exhibit inadequate consumption and, thus, appear to be promising targets for dietary change because of potential long-term benefits. Research is needed to identify variables that influence fruit and vegetable consumption, including cultural, psychosocial, economic, and situational factors. Only a few such models are available, and most lack the specificity required for testing. Among the theories of health behavior. Social Cognitive Theory appears best suited to developing such a model. Social Cognitive Theory and an analysis of variables cited in the literature as related to children's food habits were used to develop a model to predict fruit and vegetable consumption among elementary grade children. The model was tested using psychosocial and dietary data from 420 third graders in nine elementary schools in the Bessemer, Hoover, and Jefferson County, Alabama school systems. Using the LISREL VIII program. the model was tested to see if it performed differently between two random samples of data and between boys and girls. Because each subsample showed different results, four models were needed to achieve satisfactory fit. The variables with the greatest total effects on consumption, in descending order based on all four models, were modeling, knowledge, exposure, availability, self efficacy, preferences, asking skills, and outcome expectations, with exposure to nutrition education showing a negative effect. A highly significant effect of exposure on preferences was indicated in all models. However, all models had low predictive ability except for preference, with an R$\sp2$ of.79 to.81, and self efficacy, with an R$\sp2$ of.24 to.32. These results reinforce the complexity of eating behaviors and the variety of influences important to children in the same third-grade classroom. Although the measures and analysis procedures need to be refined, this study identified a number of significant variables that have direct and indirect effects on third-graders' consumption of fruits and vegetables and provides some evidence as to the relationships among factors influencing children's fruit and vegetable consumption.
ProQuest Publication Number
ProQuest ID
9804942
ISBN
978-0-591-56518-8
Recommended Citation
Hinton, Agnes W., "A social-cognitive theory model to predict frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption among third-grade children" (1996). All ETDs from UAB. 7194.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/7194
Comments
DrPH