Colecția 2008

THE ROLE OF SELF-EFFICACY, PAST HABITS, AND ACTION PLANS IN CHILDREN�S EATING HABITS

Scris de Catrinel CRĂCIUN, Adriana BĂBAN on . Postat în Volumul XII, Nr. 2

ABSTRACT

Adopting healthy eating habits in childhood is important because these contribute to an optimal physical and intellectual development. However, children are eating more junk food than healthy snacks (e.g., chips, chocolate croissants) during school brakes signaling a need to intervene and help change these unhealthy habits. The goal of this study is to investigate children�s motivation to eat a fruit snack in school, focusing on the role of self-efficacy and previous habit. We also set out to test the effectiveness of a volitional intervention based on forming action plans to increase fruit snack intake at school. Data were gathered from a sample (N=233) of 10-year old children. Intention, self-efficacy regarding eating a fruit snack at school, previous fruit snacking habit and fruit snack intake were measured using an adapted version of the Pro Children Questionnaire (Sandvik et al., 2005). As a volitional intervention, children formed action plans concerning when, where and how they will eat a fruit snack in school and fruit intake was measured after the intervention and at three months follow-up. We have found that children who formed action plans ate more fruit snacks in school than those from the control group, both after the intervention and at follow-up, but fruit intake decreased at three months following the intervention. Further research should investigate the role of combining action and coping planning in an effort to help children resist the temptation of unhealthy snacks and help them develop healthier eating habits.

KEYWORDS: children�s eating patterns, action planning, self-efficacy, habit.

PAGES: 205-218