Primary schoolchildren’s nutrition characteristics in Lithuania : the role of health beliefs and parental monitoring

Abstract

Childhood is one of the most influential periods of human development for healthy lifestyle and health beliefs formation. This study was intended to assess how II–IV grade schoolchildren’s nutrition characteristics are related to both children and their parents’ health and nutrition beliefs, and parental health related monitoring. A cross-sectional random sampling survey using self-report questionnaires for children and for their parents was carried out in 2010. The questionnaire assessed participants’ self rated health, nutrition, health beliefs and parental health related monitoring. The total sample included 206 schoolchildren and their parents. The results showed that participants eating habits do not match healthy nutrition guidelines. A healthier diet of children is associated with more favorable, more veridical children beliefs about health and nutrition, healthy eating of parents and parental healthy eating modeling. The study confirms both parental health behavior and monitoring influences to children eating habits and health beliefs formation.