Parent-Child Joint Decision Making on Food Choices and Children's Fruits and Vegetable Consumption

Objective : We examined the influence of parent-child joint decision-making behaviors on children's fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption. Methods : We analyzed data of parents of students from rural southeast Texas (N = 298). Results : Children who 'always decide together' with parents ate significantly more vegetables (M = 5.45, S. D. = 1.88) than children who "decide alone" (M = 4.00, SD = 2.42, p < .05). "Always decide together" (M = 4.83, SD= 2.24, p < .05) consumed significantly more fruits than "parent decides alone" (Mean = 3.77, SD = 2.03). After controlling for demographic variables "Always decide together" influenced vegetables (PR= .75, p = .003) and fruit consumption (PR = .861, p = .08). Conclusion : Parents play a vital role in the food choices and can positively influence F&V consumption by including children in the decision-making process.