Use of food and nutrition knowledge by mothers of preschool children

Summary Thirty upper-middle class mothers and their preschool children were interviewed to study the effect that food and nutrition knowledge of the mothers had on the use of presweetened cereals. The sample was divided into subgroups of families with children older than the preschooler and families with no older children. In the first group, the mothers' food and nutrition knowledge was positively associated with behavior regarding the use of presweetened cereals. In the second group where the preschool children were the oldest children in the family, the mothers' food and nutrition knowledge was not related to their cereal purchasing behavior. The food and nutrition knowledge test scores for both groups were similar. However, other factors appear to influence how the mothers from these two groups will apply this knowledge.