Published: January 2012

ID #: 63050

Journal: J Acad Nutr Diet

Authors: Erinosho TO, Hales DP, McWilliams CP, Emunah J, Stanton Ward D

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This article discusses a cross-sectional study evaluating the associations between child-care center policies about staff eating practices and caregivers’ dietary behaviors during mealtime interactions with children. Researchers observed no substantial associations between caregiver behaviors and center policies. Caregivers were observed modeling healthy dietary behaviors more frequently at centers that had written policies about staff modeling, discouraging unhealthy foods for meals and snacks, and having informal nutrition talks with children at meals. However, caregivers were observed consuming unhealthy foods and sugar-sweetened beverages most often at centers with written policies about encouraging healthy foods or discouraging unhealthy meals and snacks.

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