Factors Affecting Vegetable Intake in Boys
Author Information
Author(s): Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij, Agneta Yngve, Saskia J. te Velde, Knut-Inge Klepp, Mette Rasmussen, Inga Thorsdottir, Alexandra Wolf, Johannes Brug
Primary Institution: Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Hypothesis
Overweight boys would perceive less positive attitudes towards vegetables and have different correlates of vegetable intake compared to normal weight boys.
Conclusion
Intervention strategies to increase vegetable intake should focus on enhancing liking, self-efficacy, and the practice of bringing vegetables to school for both normal weight and overweight boys.
Supporting Evidence
- Regression analyses explained 23% to 28% of the variance in vegetable intake.
- Liking, self-efficacy, and bringing vegetables to school were positively related to intake.
- Active parental encouragement was significant for overweight boys but not for normal weight boys.
Takeaway
This study looked at why some boys eat more vegetables than others and found that both normal weight and overweight boys can benefit from encouragement and support to eat more veggies.
Methodology
The study used a validated self-report questionnaire to measure vegetable intake and related factors among 3960 boys across 9 European countries.
Potential Biases
Self-reported weight and height may lead to underreporting or inaccuracies.
Limitations
The cross-sectional design limits causal inferences, and data were based on self-reported measures which may introduce bias.
Participant Demographics
Boys aged 9 to 13 years, with 16.5% classified as overweight.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
C.I. = 0.70–0.99
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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