Parental Information, Motivation, and Behavioral Skills Correlate with Child Sweetened Beverage Consumption

ObjectiveTo evaluate fit of the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) model applied to sweetened beverage (SB) consumption in children.DesignCross-sectional. Parents completed a home beverage inventory and IMB survey regarding SB consumption.SettingHealth fairs, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children clinics.ParticipantsConvenience sample of 198 parents of low socioeconomic status.Main Outcome MeasuresIndependent variables included scores from 3 indices calculated from the IMB survey, information, motivation, and behavioral skills. The dependent variable was average child daily caloric consumption from SB consumption calculated from the home beverage inventory.AnalysisStructural equation modeling.ResultsParental information had direct and indirect negative relationships with SB consumption. Parental motivation was only indirectly associated with SB consumption mediated through behavioral skills. Parental behavioral skills had a negative correlation with SB consumption.Conclusions and ImplicationsIn applying the IMB model to SB consumption, the authors found preliminary support for relationships between parental information, motivation, behavioral skills, and child SB consumption. Application of this model shows promise in identifying the complex interactions between factors influencing consumption behaviors. As nutrition educators frequently desire to alter behaviors, use of the IMB model may help with both targeting and assessment efforts.