Evaluating innovations to overcome barriers to equitable access to and use of federal Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children benefits

In King County, WA, food insecurity is pervasive among low-income children and inequitable by race, yet WIC utilization is also low. We propose to evaluate an innovative WIC mobile strategy to be implemented in 2020 to advance nutrition and food security equity. Mobile WIC teams will bring services to non-traditional community settings (e.g., food banks More

Conducting a health-care-technology-based intervention to reduce sugary-beverage consumption for diverse populations of children

The healthcare sector is a promising venue for systems interventions to reduce children’s sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption, but clinical staff lack the time for high-intensity in-person interventions. We propose to develop and pilot a parent-informed, technology-enabled healthcare system-based intervention. The goals of the intervention are to: reduce SSB consumption, promote guideline-appropriate levels of fruit juice More

Implementing and evaluating the impact for children from birth to age 5 of expanding the Cash-Value Benefit for the purchase of fruits and vegetables

The $9/month Cash Value Benefit (CVB) provided by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is only enough to purchase less than one-quarter of a child’s daily recommended intake of fruits and vegetables. The primary aim of this project is to implement and evaluate an expansion of the monthly Cash Value More

Infant formula and toddler milk marketing: opportunities to address harmful practices and improve young children’s diets

Children’s diets in their first 1000 days influence dietary preferences, eating habits, and long-term health. Yet the diets of most infants and toddlers in the United States do not conform to recommendations for optimal child nutrition. This narrative review examines whether marketing for infant formula and other commercial baby/toddler foods plays a role. The World Health More

Use of Electronic Health Record Data to Study the Association of Sugary Drink Consumption With Child Weight Status

Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and, to some extent, fruit juice are modifiable risk factors for childhood obesity. Data on consumption have not been previously systematically collected in the electronic health record (EHR) in a way that could facilitate observational research and population health management. In 2017 to 2018, we used data from an EHR-based SSB and More

Examining Food Insecurity among Young Children and their Families within the Context of Early Care and Education

The overarching goal of this project is to conduct a mixed-methods formative evaluation to explore food insecurity in low-income center-based ECE settings at both the macro-and micro-levels in order to accomplish the following objectives: 1) Determine the relevance of food insecurity as a priority area within the context of ECE settings and among ECE professionals More

Technical Scientific Report. Healthy Beverage Consumption in Early Childhood: Recommendations from Key National Health and Nutrition Organizations

Research shows that what children drink – from birth through age 5 – can have a big impact on their health, as beverages make a significant contribution to dietary intake during this period. However, with so many choices available in the marketplace, it can be confusing for parents and caregivers to know which drinks are More

Consensus Statement. Healthy Beverage Consumption in Early Childhood: Recommendations from Key National Health and Nutrition Organizations

Research shows that what children drink – from birth through age 5 – can have a big impact on their health, as beverages make a significant contribution to dietary intake during this period. However, with so many choices available in the marketplace, it can be confusing for parents and caregivers to know which drinks are More

Developing a National Research Agenda to Reduce Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Increase Safe Water Access and Consumption Among 0- to 5-Year-Olds: A Mixed Methods Approach

Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption in early childhood is a public health concern. Adequate hydration in early childhood is also important. Healthy Eating Research developed a national research agenda to improve beverage consumption patterns among 0- to 5-year-olds. This article focuses on the process used to develop this research agenda. A mixed methods, multi-step process was More