ARS | Publication request: Home fruit, juice, and vegetable pantry management and availability scales: A validation

Submitted to: Appetite
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: July 30, 2007
Publication Date: March 1, 2008
Citation: Baranowski, T., Missaghian, M., Watson, K., Broadfoot, A., Cullen, K., Nicklas, T., Fisher, J., O'Donnell, S. 2008. Home fruit, juice, and vegetable pantry management and availability scales: A validation. Appetite. 50:266-277.

Interpretive Summary: High levels of fruit and vegetable intake have been related to lower risks for obesity and several chronic diseases. People who have more fruit and vegetables at home tend to eat more fruit and vegetables. Better understanding how parents responsible for food shopping make decisions may provide points for intervention to increase home fruit and vegetable availability. A new scale was developed of how household food shoppers manage the supply of foods in the home pantry. The scale had acceptable psychometric characteristics, and appropriately correlated with a measure of home fruit and vegetable availability. The results need to be replicated in other samples, but interventions may target shoppers' decisions about managing the home food pantry.

Technical Abstract: Home fruit, 100% juice, and vegetables (FJV) availability is related to increased FJV consumption by children. While FJV must be purchased for use in the home, no scales have been reported on home FJV pantry management practices. A scale for home FJV pantry management practices was generated from focus group discussions with diverse 162 food shoppers. A commonly used scale of home FJV availability was also assessed. A grocery store intercept survey recruited 171 food shoppers with children in front of supermarkets and grocery stores. Survey instruments were administered twice, separated by 6 weeks. Single dimensionality was observed for each scale. Item Response Theory parameter estimates revealed easily interpreted patterns in the sequence of items by difficulty of response. These scales are available to help better understand influences on family FJV purchase decisions.