Focus Area: Early Childhood

Policy, systems, and environmental interventions addressing physical activity in early childhood education settings: A systematic review

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Policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) approaches can facilitate physical activity in priority populations (e.g., racial and ethnic minority, low wealth groups) within early childhood education (ECE) settings. The purpose of this review was to 1) characterize the inclusion of priority populations within ECE physical activity interventions containing PSE approaches and 2) identify and describe interventions More

Increased WIC Cash Value Benefit is Associated with Greater Amount and Diversity of Redeemed Fruits and Vegetables among Participating Households

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WIC food packages for children ages 1 to 4 include a cash value benefit (CVB) redeemable for fruits and vegetables (FVs) with participating vendors. The CVB value was increased beginning in June 2021. This study evaluated associations of the augmented CVB with the amount and diversity of redeemed FVs among a cohort of 1770 WIC-participating More

Experiences of distress and gaps in government safety net supports among parents of young children during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

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The COVID-19 pandemic prompted rapid federal, state, and local government policymaking to buffer families from the health and economic harms of the pandemic. However, there has been little attention to families’ perceptions of whether the pandemic safety net policy response was adequate, and what is needed to alleviate lasting effects on family well-being. This study More

Toddler milk: a scoping review of research on consumption, perceptions, and marketing practices

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Toddler milk is an ultra-processed beverage consisting primarily of powdered milk, caloric sweeteners, and vegetable oil. Pediatric health authorities do not support the use of toddler milk, and emerging evidence suggests that toddler-milk marketing practices may mislead consumers. However, studies have not synthesized the extent of toddler-milk marketing practices or how these practices affect parents’ More

Comparison of Beverage Recommendations for Young Children: Opportunities for Alignment in U.S. Policy Guidance

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In 2019, Healthy Eating Research (HER) developed recommendations on what children ages 0 to 5 should drink as part of a healthy diet, in partnership with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and the American Heart Association. Having one set of uniform recommendations provided More

Enhancing Equity in Technical Assistance for an eLearning Training to Improve Healthy Beverage Policy Implementation Among Early Care and Education Teachers

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The purpose of this study is to add an equity component to a study evaluating the effectiveness of an interactive, eLearning beverage policy training (iBevSmart) paired with eCoaching (technical assistance consultation and resources) for ECE centers in Georgia. This additional equity component of the study will: 1) develop and test equity-centered TA resources (storybook, song, More

“It has a lot to do with the cumbersome paperwork”: Barriers and facilitators of center-based early care and education (ECE) program participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)

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The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federally-regulated feeding program that reimburses early care and education (ECE) programs for providing nutritious meals to low-income children. Participation in CACFP is voluntary and varies widely across states. This study assessed barriers and facilitators of center-based ECE program participation in CACFP and identified potential strategies More

The Child and Adult Care Food Program and young children’s health: a systematic review

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The objective of this review was to summarize the evidence for the impact of CACFP on children’s diet quality, weight status, food insecurity, and cognitive development. Nineteen articles were reviewed, most of which had been published since 2012. Seventeen used cross-sectional designs. Twelve evaluated foods and beverages served; 4 evaluated dietary intake; 4 evaluated the More

Healthy Snacks and Drinks for Toddlers: A Qualitative Study of Caregivers’ Understanding of Expert Recommendations and Perceived Barriers to Adherence

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Despite expert recommendations, most toddlers consume sugary drinks and more sweet and salty snack foods than fruits and vegetables as snacks. Studies have examined toddler caregivers’ reasons for providing sugary drinks, but few have examined the reasons for providing nutritionally poor snack foods. Researchers conducted focus groups in one low-income community to assess caregivers’ familiarity, More