Age Group: Preschool-age children (ages 3 to 5)

Developing and Evaluating the Effectiveness of Pictorial Health Warnings on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages to Overcome Language and Literacy Barriers

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Childhood obesity is a major public health problem in the U.S. among racial and ethnic minorities, including among the growing Latino population in the U.S. One promising but understudied policy for addressing childhood obesity is requiring health warnings on the front of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) containers. Pictorial warnings in particular hold promise for overcoming language More

Childhood Obesity: ECE Policy and Practice Special Journal Issue

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Childhood Obesity published a special theme journal issue on early care and education programs (ECE) policy and practice. It unites a group of outstanding researchers focusing on the role of policies and practices within ECE programs to support healthy practices. Each article addresses one or more important influences, including public policies, such as the federally More

Parents’ Reports of Fast-Food Purchases for Their Children: Have They Improved?

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Few research studies have examined the menu items that parents purchase for their children at fast-food restaurants or their attitudes about healthier kids’ meals. The purpose of this research was to document specific menu items that parents reported purchasing for their children at the top fast-food restaurant chains, attitudes about the restaurants, frequency of fast-food More

A National Research Agenda to Reduce Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Increase Safe Water Access and Consumption Among Zero- to Five-Year-Olds

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Early childhood is a critical period for developing food preferences and dietary patterns. Despite dietary recommendations to limit or eliminate sugary drinks in early childhood, children ages 0 to 5 frequently drink these beverages. There is currently a lack of evidence on effective policy, systems, and environmental strategies to reduce sugary drink consumption and provide More

A Systematic Review of Strategies to Reduce Sugar‐Sweetened Beverage Consumption Among 0‐Year to 5‐Year Olds

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Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption begins early and increases with age in the U.S., and there is robust evidence linking SSB consumption with negative health consequences. This systematic review synthesizes evidence from 27 studies on strategies aimed to reduce SSB consumption among 0- to 5-year-olds. Interventions took place primarily in healthcare settings, as well as preschool/daycare, More

Implementing a novel electronic health record approach to track child sugar-sweetened beverage consumption

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Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption is a risk factor for childhood obesity. Including this measure in electronic health records (EHR) could enhance clinical care and facilitate research on this topic. We implemented a single-item, EHR screening question for SSB and 100% fruit juice at 8 pediatric practices affiliated with a North Carolina academic medical center. From More

Participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program Is Associated with Healthier Nutrition Environments at Family Child Care Homes in Mississippi

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This study describes the foods and beverages offered, nutrition practices, and nutrition policies of family child care homes in Mississippi and differences by participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). A random sample of family child care homes that enroll 3- to 5-year-olds in Mississippi were examined through a self-report tool. Foods More

Predictors of Nutrition Quality in Early Child Education Settings in Connecticut

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This study assessed the dietary quality of lunches and feeding practices in Connecticut child care centers and made comparisons by center participation in the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Specifically, overall energy, macronutrient intake, and intake by CACFP meal component were compared with CACFP requirements and recommendations from the Institute of Medicine. More

Assessing Beverage Intake in Children and Adolescents: State of the Science, Recommendations, and Resources for Evaluation

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This report serves as a guide to assist researchers in the selection of beverage intake assessment methods. The report begins with a description of several key issues to consider when assessing beverage intake in children and adolescents, and then moves into a review of five methods for assessing beverage consumption. The review compares assessment methods by More

Federal Nutrition Program Revisions Impact Low-income Households’ Food Purchases

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The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) required major revisions to food packages in 2009. This study examines associations between WIC revisions and nutritional profiles of packaged food purchases from 2008 to 2014 among 4,537 low-income households with preschoolers in the U.S. using Nielsen Homescan Consumer Panel data. Among WIC households, More