Uninvolved Maternal Feeding Style Moderates the Association of Emotional Overeating to Preschoolers’ Body Mass Index z-Scores

Objective: To examine the relation between preschoolers\u27 eating behaviors and body mass index (BMI) z-scores (BMIz) and the moderating role of permissive parent feeding styles in these associations. Design: Cross-sectional study involving mothers\u27 report of food-related parenting styles and child eating behaviors. Setting: Small city in southern Mississippi. Participants: Mother–preschooler dyads (n = 104). Main Outcome Measure: Child body BMIz. Analysis: Moderated multiple regression. Results: An uninvolved feeding style moderated the relationship between emotional eating and BMIz such that children with higher emotional overeating scores had higher a BMIz in the presence of an uninvolved feeding style (B = 2.16; P = .01). Conclusions and Implications: An uninvolved feeding style may be a risk factor for higher BMIz in preschoolers who tend to overeat to cope with negative emotions. For other children in this population, self-regulatory aspects of eating may be more important than mothers\u27 feeding style in the maintenance of healthy weight

Predictors of Parent Engagement Based on Child Care Providers’ Perspectives

Objective: Determine the predictors of child care providers’ parent engagement regarding child nutrition in child care centers (CCCs) and family child care homes (FCCHs). Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Child care centers and FCCHs. Participants: Child care center directors (n = 337) and FCCH providers (n = 1,153) completed a self-administered survey. Main outcome measures: Fifteen variables were examined as predictors for parent engagement: providers’ perceived barriers to communication, participation in Go Nutrition and Physical Self-Assessment in Child Care, National Association for the Education of Young Children accreditation, participation in Quality Ratings and Improvement Systems, feeding practices, and professional development. Analysis: Structural equation modeling examined the relation between variables for CCCs and for FCCHs. Results: For CCCs, NAEYC accreditation, providers’ perceived barriers regarding parents’ cultural beliefs about food, parents not liking the taste of healthy foods, and parents prioritizing other food-related topics over healthy eating significantly predicted parent engagement. For FCCHs, participation in Go Nutrition and Physical Self-Assessment in Child Care, perceiving parents to be busy, not wanting to offend parents, and practicing family-style dining were significantly related to parent engagement. For both CCCs and FCCHs, professional development regarding child nutrition was related to parent engagement. Conclusions and implications: Focusing professional development on child care contexts and addressing providers’ perceived barriers may improve parent engagement

Role of food preoccupation and current dieting in the associations of parental feeding practices to emotional eating in young adults: A moderated mediation study

Parental feeding practices reflecting coercive control are related to children’s later eating behaviors, but the mechanisms underlying these effects remain poorly understood. This study examined the relationships between recalled childhood experiences of parental pressure to eat and restriction and current food preoccupation, dieting, and emotional eating in a racially diverse sample of college students (N = 711). Results revealed that parental restriction, but not pressure to eat, was associated with more emotional eating (r = 0.18, p \u3c 0.0001). Food preoccupation mediated the association between restriction and emotional eating (95% CI [3.6495–7.2231]); however, a moderated mediation model revealed that the strength of the indirect effect of restrictive feeding on emotional eating through food preoccupation was significantly different for dieters and non-dieters (index of moderated mediation = 1.79, Boot SE = 0.79; 95% bias-corrected bootstrap CI [–3.5490 to –0.4515]). These findings provide unique insight into the mechanisms linking parental feeding practices with emotional eating in young adulthood. Future studies attempting to clarify the processes through which child feeding practices impact later eating behaviors should consider the role of current dieting

Role of food preoccupation and current dieting in the associations of parental feeding practices to emotional eating in young adults: A moderated mediation study

Parental feeding practices reflecting coercive control are related to children’s later eating behaviors, but the mechanisms underlying these effects remain poorly understood. This study examined the relationships between recalled childhood experiences of parental pressure to eat and restriction and current food preoccupation, dieting, and emotional eating in a racially diverse sample of college students (N = 711). Results revealed that parental restriction, but not pressure to eat, was associated with more emotional eating (r = 0.18, p \u3c 0.0001). Food preoccupation mediated the association between restriction and emotional eating (95% CI [3.6495–7.2231]); however, a moderated mediation model revealed that the strength of the indirect effect of restrictive feeding on emotional eating through food preoccupation was significantly different for dieters and non-dieters (index of moderated mediation = 1.79, Boot SE = 0.79; 95% bias-corrected bootstrap CI [–3.5490 to –0.4515]). These findings provide unique insight into the mechanisms linking parental feeding practices with emotional eating in young adulthood. Future studies attempting to clarify the processes through which child feeding practices impact later eating behaviors should consider the role of current dieting

An Innovative, Cross-Disciplinary Approach to Promoting Child Health: The Reggio Emilia Approach and the Ecological Approach to Family Style Dining Program

The Reggio Emilia approach is an international example of high-quality early care and education programs and this article offers innovative, practical strategies in which Reggio Emilia-inspired educators can link this approach while implementing the research-based EAT Family Style Dining program to foster a positive mealtime environment and promote better health for children. The EAT Family Style Dining program presents childcare providers with the knowledge and skills needed for promoting children’s development of healthy eating behaviors while engaging families and communities. Children and adults eat together during mealtime and children serve themselves and select their own portions. This practice is recommended by the National Academy of Medicine, USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Head Start. The EAT Family Style Program, developed by an interdisciplinary team of nutrition and early childhood researchers, is composed of seven different lessons that address specific strategies for promoting family style dining

Assessment of Nutrition Knowledge of Childcare Providers Regarding the Implementation of the 2017 CACFP Meal Pattern Update

Background: With the release of 2017 Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) meal pattern, states need to determine knowledge gaps in order to develop targeted training materials and resources to aid childcare providers in achieving new regulations. Purpose: To assess the nutrition knowledge of childcare providers in regards to the implementation of the 2017 CACFP meal pattern. Methods: Convenience sampling, where CACFP participants (n = 398) completed a self-reported survey at the annual mandatory trainings across the state of Nebraska, was employed in this study. Descriptive statistics including frequencies, means, standard deviations, independent sample t tests, and chi-square tests were used to determine differences in nutrition knowledge by geographical location, for-profit and nonprofit, and program settings. Results: Data obtained from this study indicate that CACFP participants scored low on questions regarding yogurt (30%), juice (35%), breakfast cereal (37%), and whole grain (43%) questions. Data also show that there was no significant difference in levels of knowledge among characteristics and demographics of programs, types of facilities, and geographic locations. Translation to Health Education Practice: The present study results underscore the importance for continued professional development for CACFP participating childcare providers to implement the new CACFP meal pattern for child nutrition standards

The Use of Family Engagement Principles by Childcare Providers From Various Childcare Settings: A Qualitative Study

Family engagement in childcare is important to ensure the optimal growth, development, and safety of children. Previous research has explored family engagement practices, but limited research is available on the application of theory to explain the uptake of family engagement principles. The purpose of this study was to explore the use and perceptions of the National Association of the Education for Young Children’s six principles of effective family engagement among childcare providers from various childcare settings following the Innovation-Decision Process of the Diffusion of Innovation Theory. A semi-structured interview with a card-sorting task was used to explore providers’ knowledge, adoption, and perceived difficulty of implementation as well as their perceived outcomes, reasoning for use or non-use, and advice on use of the family engagement principles. Notable findings suggest variance in childcare providers’ knowledge, adoption, and perceived difficulty of all six family engagement principles. Childcare providers mentioned various perceived outcomes and reasoning for use of principles, such as improved relationship with parents and enhanced child learning. Lack of time and perceived disinterest of parents were commonly reported difficulties for the use of family engagement principles. Future studies should expand upon the exploration of family engagement practices and comparison between different childcare settings and philosophies. Further efforts are needed to investigate effective integration and use of technology for communication

A qualitative comparison of parent and childcare provider perceptions of communication and family engagement in children\u27s healthy eating and physical activity

Background Parents and childcare providers play a substantial role in the development of health behaviours among the children they care for. In order to ensure the optimal growth and development of children, communication and family engagement in childcare is critical. Previous studies examining parent or provider perceptions about healthy eating or physical activity have explored these concepts individually and/or have only included only parents or providers. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare childcare provider and parent perceptions of communication regarding healthy eating and physical activity as well as use of best practice strategies on family engagement for these topics. Methods Childcare providers (n = 12) in childcare centres or a family childcare home and a parent (n = 12) of a child they provide care for participated in a semi-structured interview guided by the Social Ecological Model. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and uploaded to NVivo for data analysis. Data were analysed using a directed content analysis. Three trained qualitative researchers developed a codebook and then compared responses between parents and providers. Results Similarities in provider and parent responses included agreement on healthy eating; influences on child development; parents being the most influential on children\u27s healthy eating; how they identified physical activity opportunities; and the use of family engagement principles. Differences that arose included parents\u27 roles in promoting children\u27s physical activity; challenges for parents in promoting healthy eating and physical activity; and providers\u27 encouragement of physical activity. Importantly, few parents mentioned providers were top influences on their child\u27s healthy eating or physical activity. Providers also mentioned having difficult conversations with parents was challenging. Conclusions Future efforts are needed to (1) help parents understand the providers\u27 role in the development of their child\u27s health behaviours and (2) strengthen efforts to engage families in healthy behaviours outside of childcare facilities

Understanding Parental Ethnotheories and Practices About Healthy Eating: Exploring the Developmental Niche of Preschoolers

Purpose: To understand parental ethnotheories (i.e., belief systems) and practices about preschoolers’ healthy eating guided by the developmental niche framework. Design: Qualitative hermeneutic phenomenology. Setting: Home. Participants: Participants were 20 parents of preschool-age children ages 3 to 5 years, recruited from a quantitative investigation. A majority of the participants were white, female, married, well educated, and working full time. Methods: Participants who completed the quantitative survey were asked to provide their contact information if they were willing to be interviewed. From the pool of participants who expressed their willingness to participate in the interviews, 20 participants were selected using a random number generator. In-person semistructured interviews were conducted until data saturation (n ¼ 20). Thematic analysis was performed. Results: Three themes and 6 subthemes emerged: theme 1—parental ethnotheories about healthy eating included subthemes of knowledge about healthy eating, motivations to promote healthy child development through healthy eating, and sources of knowledge about healthy eating (e.g., doctors, social media, government guidelines, positive family-of-origin experiences); theme 2—parental ethnotheories that supported organization of children’s physical and social settings included structured mealtime routines and food socialization influences (e.g., grandparents, siblings, and childcare programs); and theme 3—parental ethnotheories that supported children’s learning about healthy eating included parent–child engagement, communication, and encouragement in food-related activities (e.g., meal preparation, visiting farmer’s market, grocery shopping, gardening, cooking, baking). Conclusion: Findings advance the literature on parental practices about healthy eating. Parental ethnotheories (e.g., beliefs, motivations, knowledge, and skills) matter. Developmental niche of preschoolers (i.e., physical and social settings, childrearing practices, and parental ethnotheories) constitutes an interactive system in which ethnotheories serve as guides to parental practices. Fostering nutrition education and parent–child engagement, communication, and encouragement in food-related activities are recommended to promote children’s healthy eating in daily routines