Table 1.
Average Observed Number of Communications by Teacher Type
| Supportive Communications | Lead Mean (sd) Range |
Assistant Mean (sd) Range |
Total Mean (sd) Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Positive comments about food served.6,26,27 (I am really enjoying the peas today. Yummy.) |
2.8 (2.4) 0 – 10 |
2.3 (1.8) 0 – 7 |
2.5 (2.1) 0 – 10 |
| Hunger cues11,25,30,32,33 (Are you full? How does your belly feel?) |
0.4 (0.7) 0 – 3 |
0.1 (0.3) 0 – 1 |
0.3 (0.6) 0 – 3 |
| Encourage trying in positive way6,11,24,26,27,29,31,32 (Would you like to try the peas?) |
3.4 (2.8) (0 – 11) |
2.0 (2.5) 0 – 11 |
2.7 (2.7) 0 – 11 |
| Exploring foods11,29,33–35 (What does it smell like? How does it feel in your mouth?) |
4.1 (3.7) 0 – 13 |
2.3 (2.5) 0 – 9 |
3.2 (3.3) 0 – 13 |
| Total Supportive Communications | 10.7 (6.7) 0 – 24 |
6.7 (4.4) 0 – 16 |
8.7 (6.0) 0 – 24 |
| Unsupportive Communications | |||
| Negative comments about the food served36–39 (I can’t believe we’re having this again. I don’t like peas.) |
0.1 (0.4) 0 – 2 |
0.1 (0.25) 0 – 1 |
0.1 (0.3) 0 – 2 |
| Pressure to eat.28–31 (Eat your food. Take a bite. Clean your plate. Finish.) |
3.8 (3.5) 0 – 14 |
3.8 (5.0) 0 – 25 |
3.8 (4.3) 0 – 25 |
| Threats (to encourage eating)10,11,28–31,36–39,40,41 (If you don’t eat, you’ll be over here by yourself.) |
0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.2) 0 – 1 |
0.03 (0.1) 0 – 1 |
| Discourage manipulating food11,29,33–35 (Eat; don’t play. That’s sticky and nasty.) |
0.8 (1.3) 0 – 7 |
0.8 (1.2) 0 – 5 |
0.8 (1.2) 0 – 7 |
| Indicate preference for unhealthy food.6,26,27 (I wish we were having french fries today.) |
0.3 (0.6) 0 – 2 |
0.1 (0.3) 0 – 2 |
0.2 (0.5) 0 – 2 |
| Food as a reward.36–39 (If you eat your vegetable, you can have dessert). |
0.1 (0.2) 0 −1 |
.01 (.1) 0 – 1 |
0.03 (0.2) 0 – 1 |
| Hurries to finish eating10,11,28–31,40,41 (We’re waiting on you. Let’s hurry so we can go to recess.) |
0.4 (0.7) 0 – 3 |
0.5 (0.9) 0 – 5 |
0.4 (0.8) 0 – 5 |
| Firm behavioral control10,11,40,41 (Turn around. Sit up straight. Hands in your lap) |
3.7 (2.6) 0 – 12 |
4.6 (3.5) 0 – 15 |
4.2 (3.1) 0 – 15 |
| Total Unsupportive Communications | 8.2 (5.9) 1 – 31 |
8.7 (8.6) 0 – 47 |
8.5 (7.3) 1 – 47 |
| Total Communications | 18.9 (8.0) 4 – 42 |
15.4 (9.6) 1 – 49 |
17.2 (8.9) 1 – 49 |