Psychosocial Determinants of Food Choices among Australian Children: An Analysis of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Chiildren Database

Abstract

There is significant impetus to identify the determinants of food choices and to develop effective ways to provide food guidance to children to enhance their health. Previous research has demonstrated the likely importance of personal determinants and the home food environment as targets to influence the food choices of children. The purpose of the present study was to analyse cross-sectional and longitudinal data to provide further insight into factors in childhood which affect children’s food choices. The present research analyses involved data gathered from the national database of Growing up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). The LSAC design explored the developmental outcomes of children from early until late childhood, using a representative sample of 10,000 Australian children and their families, divided in two cohorts. The B-cohort (infant cohort) comprises data collected from 2004 (wave 1 data collection, 0-1 year at age of recruitment) until 2008 (wave 3 data collection, 4-5 year at age of recruitment). The K-cohort (child cohort) comprises data collected from 2004 (wave 1 data collection, 4-5 year at age of recruitment) until 2008 (wave 3 data collection, 8-9 year at age of recruitment). The data were collected from multiple sources such as mothers and fathers, teachers and carers, and direct assessments and observations. Data were primarily collected to provide information regarding a child’s personality and behaviour, family and relationship history, health and lifestyle, parenting practice, source of support, activities with children, education, paid work and physical measurements.