Table 4

Relationships between the nutritional home environment and children's intake of fat from dairy products (n = 276) (ANOVA used for categorical variables and Pearson correlation for continuous variables).

Descriptive Construct

Nutritional Home Environment Item

Children's Dietary Patterns Mean Fat in Dairy Products score (range = 3–20)

p value

Frequently

Sometimes

Occasionally

Rarely/Never

Parental behaviours associated with food

Reward good behaviour with food

4.8^a

4.0^a

3.1^a

3.7^a

0.04

Restrict second helpings

1.3^a

3.2^a

2.9^a

3.9^a

0.04

0–1.9 l

2–2.9 l

3–3.9 l

≥4 l

Availability of food in home

Amount of fruit juice in home

3.5^a

4.6^b

3.2^ab

3.5^ab

0.02

Full fat

Reduced fat

Mixed (reduced fat/low fat)

Low fat

Type of dairy in home

4.1^a

1.9^b

3.8^a

2.3^ab

<0.001

Number of snacks per day

2.9 ± 1.15 (0–8) snacks per day [r = 0.16^c]

0.008

^a,b Superscripts indicate which categories show a statistically significant difference using Bonferroni correction: same letter indicates no difference, different letter indicates a difference.

^c Pearson Correlation coefficient.

Spurrier et al. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2008 5:31   doi:10.1186/1479-5868-5-31