This study will evaluate nutrition and physical activity practices and policies of licensed child-care centers that enroll 3- to 5-year-old children in the three Southern states with the highest childhood obesity rates—Mississippi, Georgia, and Kentucky—and assess differences in practices and policies by geographic region (e.g., rural/urban), center characteristics (e.g., Child and Adult Care Food Program/non-Child and Adult Care Food Program participation, Head Start/non-Head Start programs), and strength of state regulations. The investigators will conduct a cross-sectional study of 342 centers (82 in Mississippi, 150 in Georgia, 110 in Kentucky). Data on the general nutrition and physical activity practices and policies of participating centers will be collected through surveys completed by the director and two preschool teachers for each center, and an independent review of center policy documents to assess the presence/absence of written policies about these practices. In addition, investigators will complete a quantitative analysis to determine whether current state regulations provide sufficient guidance on nutrition and physical activity practices in child-care centers. Findings from the project will help stakeholders better understand how child-care center practices and policies influence children’s diets and physical activity behaviors, particularly in limited-resource centers and those that serve significant numbers of children in the racial/ethnic and lower-income populations at greatest risk for obesity.
Start Date: November 2013
ID #: 71393
Principal Investigator: Temitope Erinosho, PhD
Co-Principal Investigator: Dianne Ward, EdD
Organization: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Funding Round: Round 8
Race/Ethnicity: African American or Black, Multi-racial/ethnic
Keywords: Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Child Care/Preschool, Head Start, Physical activity, Rural, Urban
Focus Area: Early Childhood
States: Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi
Resource Type: Grant Summary
Age Group: Preschool-age children (ages 3 to 5)
Related Research
April 2024
Height and Weight Measurement and Communication With Families in Head Start: Developing a Toolkit and Establishing Best Practices
Head start (HS) programs are required to collect children’s height and weight data. Programs also communicate these results to families. However, no standardized protocol exists to guide measurements or communicate results. The purpose of this article was to describe the development of a measurement toolkit and best practices for communication. HS programs contributed to the MoreNovember 2023
State Agency Perspectives on Successes and Challenges of Administering the Child and Adult Care Food Program
The federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) improves nutrition and reduces food insecurity for young children while helping cover food costs for care providers and families. Despite its important benefits, the program is underutilized. This report uses qualitative interviews with state CACFP administrators representing 28 states to explore federal and state policies and practices that support or discourage CACFP participation among licensed child MoreNovember 2023