Table 3.
Differences in mean times per week parent offered child snacks by demographic characteristics (n = 271)—parent and family characteristics.
| Parent Education | Parent BMI | Family Food Insecurity a | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total (n = 271) | High School Graduate or Less (n = 177) | College or Technical School (n = 94) | Normal (n = 71) | Overweight (n = 77) | Obese (n = 122) | Yes (n = 146) | No (n = 125) | ||
| Times per week parent offered snacks | Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | |
| Nutritive reasons | |||||||||
| To help child grow | 2.5 (2.2) | 2.3 (2.2) | 2.8 (2.2) | 2.9 (2.2) b | 2.5 (2.1) | 2.2 (2.1) | 2.3 (2.2) | 2.7 (2.2) | |
| Because child is hungry | 2.4 (2.1) | 2.2 (2.1) | 2.7 (2.2) | 2.5 (2.1) | 2.4 (2.2) | 2.3 (2.1) | 2.4 (2.2) | 2.4 (2.1) | |
| Non-nutritive reasons | |||||||||
| Reward for good behavior | 1.5 (1.8) | 1.7 (1.9) | 1.0 (1.5) * | 1.7 (1.9) | 1.5 (1.8) | 1.3 (1.7) | 1.5 (1.8) | 1.4 (1.8) | |
| To keep child quiet | 0.7 (1.5) | 0.8 (1.5) | 0.6 (1.4) | 0.9 (1.7) | 0.7(1.4) | 0.7 (1.4) | 0.8 (1.6) | 0.7 (1.4) | |
| Celebrate event or holiday | 0.8 (1.1) | 0.9 (1.2) | 0.7 (1.0) | 0.9 (1.2) | 0.8 (1.0) | 0.8 (1.1) | 0.9 (1.2) | 0.8 (1.0) | |
| Celebrate child’s achievements | 1.3 (1.7) | 1.5 (1.7) | 1.1 (1.6) | 1.7 (1.9) b | 1.4 (1.8) | 1.1 (1.5) | 1.4 (1.7) | 1.3 (1.7) | |
BMI: Body mass index, SD: standard deviation; * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001; Statistically significant difference in means across characteristic; a Using short form of United States Household Food Security Survey Module; b Significant difference compared with obese parents (p < 0.05).