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Latino caregivers are less assertive with family and friends about their child's beverage consumption
Author(s) -
Schilling Elizabeth A.,
Quesada Catalina,
Ferris Ann M.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.841.22
Subject(s) - assertiveness , psychological intervention , ethnic group , psychology , consumption (sociology) , clinical psychology , intervention (counseling) , medicine , developmental psychology , psychiatry , social psychology , social science , sociology , anthropology
Caregiver behavioral skills are key to changing children's eating habits. The relationship between demographic characteristics and caregiver assertiveness with family and close friends regarding their child's beverage consumption were examined with baseline data from an intervention study aimed at reducing sugar‐sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption by pre‐school children. Caregivers of preschoolers (n=472) provided demographic information and completed an Information‐Motivation‐Behavioral Skills measure related to child SSB consumption (IMB‐mCSSB). Caregiver assertiveness was defined with 2 items on the IMB‐mCSSB. Caregivers with high assertiveness indicated that “telling [close friends or family] that I do not want my child to have certain drinks” would be “easy” or “very easy.” Logistic regressions showed that although caregiver age, gender, and food security status were not associated with assertiveness, ethnicity was significantly related (p < .0001). Only 57% of Latino caregivers rated the assertiveness items as “easy” or “very easy” compared to 79% of African American, 73% of West Indian, and 76% of White caregivers. These results suggest that culturally sensitive assertiveness training with Latino caregivers may be a helpful component in interventions aimed at modifying child consumption behavior. Funding: USDA/NRI 2008–55215‐19071