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 the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP); 3) explore the quality of local food and physical activity environments surrounding FCCHs in Mississippi; and 4) examine the association between local food and physical activity environments surrounding FCCHs and the foods and physical activity opportunities provided to preschoolers. The study will collect data from a sample of approximately 150 FCCHs, which will be distributed equally into 4 groups: rural CACFP, rural non-CACFP, urban CACFP, and urban non-CACFP. FCCH providers will complete questionnaires about nutrition and physical activity policies and practices, use of local food outlets and physical activity resources, and demographic characteristics. Survey findings will be used to create statistical models to determine whether nutrition and physical activity outcomes differ between geographic region and CACFP participation. Regression models will also be created to examine associations between local food and physical activity environments and food and physical activity opportunities provided to preschoolers.
Start Date: June 2015
ID #: CAS023
Organization: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Project Lead: Temitope Erinosho, PhD
Keywords: Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Child Care/Preschool, Community setting, Physical activity, Rural, Urban
Resource Type: Commissioned Research Project Summary
Focus Area: Early Childhood
State: Mississippi
Age Group: Preschool-age children (ages 3 to 5)
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