Nutrition Policies at Child-Care Centers and Impact on Role Modeling of Healthy Eating Behaviors of Caregivers

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, More

How Does the Rural Food Environment Affect Rural Childhood Obesity?

This paper examines the association between the rural food environment and rural lower-income children’s food consumption and obesity rates in six rural towns in Maine. Researchers found few significant relationships between the community food environment and the home food environment. A marginally significant relationship was found between the distance parents traveled to shop and the More

Preventing Obesity Among Preschool Children: How Can Child-Care Settings Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity? A Research Synthesis

The preschool years are a critically important period for developing healthy food preferences and motor skills. Since the majority of U.S. children are placed in some form of non-parental care during their preschool years, these settings provide opportunities to promote healthy eating and physical activity behaviors among preschool children. Given the widespread use of child More

What Role Can Child-Care Settings Play in Obesity Prevention? A Review of the Evidence and Call for Research Efforts

This article summarizes the scientific literature on state regulations, practices and policies, and interventions for promoting healthy eating and physical activity, and for preventing obesity in preschool-aged children attending child care. Findings of the review indicate that most states lack strong healthy eating and physical activity regulations for child-care settings. Assessments of child-care settings suggest More

Evaluating the Quality of Child-Care Nutrition, Physical Activity and Screen-Time Practices to Inform Policies to Prevent Childhood Obesity

Prior research evaluating children’s diets and physical activity report the need for improvements to ensure their daily nutrition and activity needs are met while in child-care settings. Limited research has examined nutrition and physical activity policies of child-care programs. This study will evaluate the quality of these policies in relation to observed practices, staff awareness More

Healthy Food Availability and Participation in WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) in Food Stores Around Lower- and Higher-Income Elementary Schools

This paper examines the range of food outlets around lower- and higher-income urban schools and compares the availability of healthy food items in those stores. It also examines whether stores accepting vouchers for WIC, a federal program for improving health and nutrition of lower-income mothers and their children, have more healthy items available than stores More