Evaluation of Fast Food Behavior in Pre-School Children and Parents Following a One-Year Intervention with Nutrition Education

Yongqing Gao, Yuee Huang, Yongjun Zhang, Fengqiong Liu, Cindy Xin Feng, Tingting Liu, Changwei Li, Dongdong Lin, Yongping Mu, Siobhan L. Tarver, Mao Wang and Wenjie Sun
Additional contact information
Yongqing Gao: School of Food Science, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Zhongshan 528458, China
Yuee Huang: School of Public Health, Wannan Medical University, Wuhu 241001, China
Yongjun Zhang: Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical University, Wuhu 241001, China
Fengqiong Liu: School of Public Health, Sun Yatsen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
Cindy Xin Feng: School of Public Health, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon SK S7N 5E5, Canada
Tingting Liu: Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
Changwei Li: School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
Dongdong Lin: School of Science and Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
Yongping Mu: The Affiliated People's Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010110, China
Siobhan L. Tarver: School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
Mao Wang: School of Public Health, Sun Yatsen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
Wenjie Sun: School of Food Science, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Zhongshan 528458, China

IJERPH, 2014, vol. 11, issue 7, 1-11

Abstract: A community-based intervention study was conducted to assess a nutrition education intervention on western style fast food consumption among Chinese children and parents. Eight kindergartens from three district areas of Hefei City (a total of 1252 children aged 4–6 years and their parents) were randomly selected. Descriptive and analytical statistical methods were used to evaluate the baseline, midterm, and final western style fast food knowledge, attitude, and practice in both parents and children were used to identify and compare the knowledge, attitude, and practice in the parents and children. Parents and children were divided into “intervention” and “control” groups based on nutrition education status. Consumption of western style fast food at breakfast in Chinese children and parents is not high. The main reasons for this in children is that consumption of western style fast food is not viewed as “food”, but rather as a “gift” or “interesting”. The time of children’s consumption of western style fast food is mostly likely to be in the weekends. The nutrition education modified the parents’ western style fast food behavior ( p < 0.01), although it did not change significantly in children. The healthy nutrition concept should be built up among Chinese, especially in children. Insights from the families provide leads for future research and ideas for the nutrition education.

Keywords: western style fast food; Chinese parents; young children (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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