Increasing Household Purchase and Child Consumption of Calcium Products

The objective of this research is to test the effectiveness of persuasive messages targeted at parents who have children who consume inadequate amounts of calcium. Specifically, the effectiveness of the intervention material on increase a) the purchase of calcium-rich products by parents, and b) the consumption of calcium-rich products in the parent and child will be examined in 400 families across Canada. Families will receive either the targeted intervention materials or standard of care generic nutrition materials retrieved from Health Canada\'s website. Materials will be delivered to parents during weeks 0, 8, 16, and 22 of the study. Monitoring of parents\' calcium product purchases and consumption behaviour in both parents and children will occur at week 0,12, 24 weeks (immediately post-intervention) and at 52 weeks (i.e., 6-month follow-up). Purchases will be verified by grocery receipts made during the aforementioned weeks. Parents will self-report on their dietary consumption as well as their child\'s using a food frequency questionnaire. The study hypotheses are as follows: 1. Parents in the experimental condition will purchase more calcium-rich products as compared to parents in the control condition. 2. Parents and children in the experimental condition will consume more calcium rich products as compared to parents and children in the control condition. 3. Perceived outcome expectancies of consuming calcium-rich products will increase to a greater extent in parents in the experimental condition as compared to parents in the control condition. 4. Self-regulatory efficacy to consume calcium-rich products will increase to a greater extent in parents in the experimental condition as compared to parents in the control condition. 5. Perceived social support and role modelling behaviour will be highest in parents in the experimental condition as compared to parents in the control condition. 6. Self-regulatory efficacy and outcome expectancies will mediate the changes in calcium-rich product purchases and consumption.