Communities and Hospitals Advancing Maternity Practices (CHAMPS) is a public health initiative, operating in Mississippi since 2014, to improve maternal and child health practices and reduce racial disparities in breastfeeding. Using the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance framework, this study assessed CHAMPS, which used a Quality Improvement intervention at hospitals, and engaged intensively with local More

Breastfeeding equity is a critical component of nutrition-related equity. Breastfeeding rates in the United States are strongly correlated with poverty and race. Communities and Hospitals Advancing Maternity Practices (CHAMPS) is a multi-sectoral, policy, system, and environmental initiative which has significantly increased breastfeeding rates among black populations. CHAMPS was launched in Mississippi (MS) in 2014. Since More

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

To understand how advocates, schools, the food industry, policymakers, and others have shaped discussions about school nutrition at the state and local level since the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA), Berkeley Media Studies Group and the Public Health Advocacy Institute systematically examined news coverage and legislative and regulatory documents from 11 states. More

In Mississippi, about one-third of children under six years old are cared for in Family Child Care Homes (FCCHs). The purposes of this study are to: 1) assess the nutrition and physical activity practices and policies of FCCHs in Mississippi; 2) explore whether these policies differ by geographic region (rural vs. urban) and participation in More

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 More