Structural Equation Model illustrating the drivers of children’s green bean and pasta intake.

<p>The SEM assessed the relationships between salt content, green bean and pasta preferences and intake, hunger and z-BMI. SALT2 = Salt². Salad is vegetable salad. The variables in squares represent measured/observed variables, and those in circles represent latent variables. The effects concerning green beans are set equal to those concerning pasta and are reported for green beans only. The effect of hunger on the intake of green beans, pasta, salad and chicken were set to the same value (reported only once). Dotted lines represent effects suggested by the modification indices, and solid lines represent assumed effects. Numerical values next to arrows represent path coefficients, significant at p<0.05. All fit indices suggest a good fit: model chi-square = 135, df = 85, p = 0.0005, Tucker-Lewis NNFI = 0.93, Bentler CFI = 0.95, RMSEA = 0.04 with 90% confidence interval [0.03, 0.06].</p