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In Canada, little is known about how food parenting practices are associated with young children's dietary intakes and no studies have examined food parenting practices of Canadian fathers. This study aimed to examine associations between food parenting practices and preschool-age children's nutrition risk. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of thirty-one 2-parent families; 31 mothers, 31 fathers, and 40 preschool-age children. Parents completed an adapted version of the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire. We calculated children's nutrition risk using their NutriSTEP score. To account for sibling association, we used generalized estimating equations, adjusting for child age, sex, household income, and parental body mass index. Both mothers' and fathers' involvement of children in meal preparation were associated with lower child nutrition risk (mother = -3.45, p = 0.02; father = -1.74, p = 0.01), as were their healthy home environment scores (mother = -8.36, p < 0.001; father = -2.69, p = 0.04). Mothers' encouragement of balance and variety was associated with lower nutrition risk ( = -8.88, p = 0.01), whereas mothers' use of food as a reward was associated with higher nutrition risk ( = 4.67, p < 0.001). Fathers' modelling of healthy behaviours was associated with lower nutrition risk ( = -2.21, p = 0.01), whereas fathers' restriction for health ( = 2.21, p = 0.03) and pressure-to-eat scores ( = 3.26, p = <0.001) were associated with higher nutrition risk. No associations were found between child nutrition status and parental emotion regulation, control, monitoring, or restriction for weight. In conclusion, both mothers' and fathers' food parenting practices are associated with their children's nutrition status. Fathers should be included in food parenting practices interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoporosis is a major public health concern in Canada and worldwide. Although much is known about bone health in older adults, little is known about bone health in young, healthy Canadian men and women. The objectives of this research were to describe bone mineral density (BMD) of young, healthy adults living in southern Ontario, Canada, and to identify predictors of BMD in this population. Two-hundred and fifty-eight Caucasian men and women aged 18-33 years completed health and physical activity questionnaires along with a calcium and vitamin D specific food frequency questionnaire. Height and mass were measured. BMD of the total hip, femoral neck, spine, and total body was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Among men, body mass, weight-bearing physical activity, and calcium intake were significant predictors of BMD. Among women, body mass, calcium intake, and family history of osteoporosis significantly predicted log BMD. The predictors of BMD in young Canadian men and women identified in this study may inform the development of longitudinal studies designed to examine the influence of lifestyle factors on BMD in young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the association between self-reported food skills and diet quality along with measured food waste among a sample of Canadian parents. Cross-sectional data from surveys to assess food skills, 3-day food records to assess the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015, and food waste measured by household waste audits. Guelph-Wellington, Ontario. Parents (n = 130) with children aged 2–8 years. HEI-2015 scores, daily per capita avoidable and unavoidable food waste (grams). Linear regression using generalized estimating equations to determine unstandardized β estimates of associations between food skills and dependent variables. Models were adjusted for multiple testing, gender, and level of education. Food safety knowledge for cooking hot foods (β = 4.3, P = 0.05), planning (β = 4.5, P = 0.001), and conceptualizing food (β = 4.0, P = 0.03) were positively associated with HEI-2015 scores. Knowledge related to best before dates (β = 25.3, P = 0.05; β = 12.1, P = 0.04), conceptualizing food (β = 34.1, P = 0.01; β = 13.8, P = 0.02), and mechanical techniques (β = 39.2, P = 0.01; β = 20.5, P = 0.004) were associated with more avoidable and unavoidable food waste, respectively. Addressing higher-level food skills with a focus on efficient food preparation practices that make use of all edible portions of foods could play an important role in minimizing food waste and improving diet quality. Additional research in other countries and in a larger, more socioeconomically diverse sample is needed to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]