Child-care settings and the combination of policies and regulations under which they operate may reduce or perpetuate disparities in weight-related health, depending on the environmental supports they provide for healthy eating and physical activity. The objectives of this review are to summarize research on state and local policies relevant to weight-related health equity among young children in the United States and on how federal policies and regulations may provide supports for child-care providers serving families with the most limited resources. In addition, a third objective is to comprehensively review studies on differences in practices and policies within U.S. child-care facilities according to the location or demographics of providers and children. The review found there is growing evidence addressing disparities in the social and physical child-care environments provided for young children, but scientific gaps are present in the current understanding of how resources should best be allocated and policies designed to promote health equity.
What Can Be Learned from Existing Investigations of Weight-Related Practices and Policies with the Potential to Impact Disparities in US Child-Care Settings? A Narrative Review and Call for Surveillance and Evaluation Efforts.
Related Research
November 2020
Reducing Digital Marketing of Infant Formulas
Breastfeeding protects against overweight and obesity, asthma, eczema, and type-II diabetes, and has long-term health benefits for women. The health benefits of breastfeeding are so valuable that in 1981, the World Health Organization established the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes (WHO Code) that prohibits marketing infant formula to … More
November 2020
Effect of a Home-Visiting Intervention to Reduce Early Childhood Obesity Among Native American Children
The objective of this study was to assess the impact of a brief home-visiting approach, Family Spirit Nurture (FSN), on sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption, responsive parenting and infant feeding practices, and optimal growth through 12 months post partum. This study was a 1:1 randomized clinical trial comparing FSN with an … More
July 2020
Serving Their Needs: A Qualitative Examination of Nutrition Policy Implementation in the Early Care and Education Setting
Identifying strategies to assist children in establishing healthy habits is essential to reduce the risk of childhood obesity. The Early Care and Education (ECE) setting is ideal for the implementation of obesity prevention practices. However, there are barriers present for implementing nutrition policies in this setting. This report explores the … More