Cooking together: The IKEA effect on family vegetable intake

Theda Radtke , Natalia Liszewska , Karolina Horodyska , Monika Boberska , Konstantin Schenkel , Aleksandra Łuszczyńska

Abstract

Objective Based on the idea of the ‘IKEA effect’, assuming that individuals like self‐created objects more than objects created by someone else, this study hypothesizes that parents’ involvement of their children in meal planning and preparation is positively related to vegetable intake, mediated via liking vegetables. Design Longitudinal observational study with two time points (10‐month interval). Method Nine hundred and twenty‐four parent–child dyads filled out questionnaires measuring involvement, vegetable liking, vegetable intake, and further environmental and food‐related determinants of vegetable intake. On average, parents were M = 36.10 (SD = 5.43) and children (54.3% girls) M = 8.24 (SD = 1.44; range 6–11) years old. Hypotheses were tested with path analyses, accounting for intra‐dyadic associations among respective constructs (e.g., parents’ and children's liking vegetables). Results Two direct effects were found: (1) parents’ involvement of their children in cooking activities impacted children's liking of vegetables and vegetable intake, and (2) liking vegetables impacted vegetable intake. The effect of involvement on vegetable intake was mediated via liking vegetables, but only for children and not for parents. Conclusions The findings emphasize the importance of parents’ encouragement for involving children in the preparation of healthy meals, as this improves liking of vegetables and, thereby, increases their vegetable intake.