Evaluation of strategies used by family food preparers to influence healthy eating

The family may exert powerful influence on family members' eating habits, though there is very little conclusive literature regarding the specific mechanisms. The authors investigated how often family food preparers use particular strategies to encourage their families to eat more healthily and then related these strategies to healthy eating outcomes in children. We identified significant differences in strategy use between family age subgroups, and we included strategy types in multiple linear regression models to predict differences in families with children. Results indicate that discussing healthy food related to 'Pressuring' strategies and discussing healthy eating related to 'Feeling and looking good' predicted healthy eating outcomes. Findings have implications for designing dietary interventions to have the largest public health impact. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.