Relating Use of Effective Responsive, Structure, and Non-Directive Control Vegetable Parenting Practices to Subscales from the Model of Goal Directed Behavior

Parents may positively influence children’s vegetable consumption through effective vegetable parenting

practices (VPP). Research has demonstrated three dimensions of effective VPP: Effective Responsiveness, Structure,

and Non-Directive Control, but there is limited research investigating each separately. This study presents the modeling

of Effective Responsive, Structure, and Non-Directive Control VPP using constructs from the Model of Goal Directed

Vegetable Parenting Practices (MGDVPP). Parents (n=307) completed a survey on demographics, MGDVPP constructs,

and effective VPP. Block regression modeling tested three models: one for each dimension of effective VPP as the

dependent variable. Independent variables included validated subscales representing MGDVPP constructs: Intention,

Desire, Perceived Barriers, Autonomy, Relatedness, Self-Efficacy, Habit, Anticipated Emotions, Perceived Behavioral

Control, Attitudes, and Norms. Participants were racially diverse, and a majority was female, of higher socioeconomic

status, and with a male child. Effective Responsive VPP was positively related to a Habit subscale. Effective Structure

VPP was positively related to a Barrier, two Habit, and an Attitude subscales. Effective Non-Directive Control VPP was

positively related to being a high school or GED graduate, having younger children, a Habit, and two Intentions

subscales, and negatively related to an Intentions and a Perceived Behavioral Control subscales. The adjusted R2 for the

Effective Responsive, Structure, and Non-Directive Control VPP models were 0.432, 0.310, and 0.515, respectively. This

was the first study to relate constructs from a theoretical model to effective VPP dimensions. Research is needed to

longitudinally assess the MGDVPP and test its utility in vegetable-related interventions.