Caregiver food behaviours are associated with dietary intakes of children outside the child-care setting

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate whether food behaviours of parents are associated with children's dietary intakes outside the child-care setting, and to compare children's dietary intakes at home with foods and beverages consumed when they are at child-care centres. Design: In 2005-2006, a survey was completed by parents of at least one child between 3 and 5 years old who attended group child-care centres. Surveys about nutrition practices were completed by centre directors. Research assistants observed foods and beverages consumed by children at lunchtime at the centres. Setting: Sixteen licensed group child-care centres in three underserved New York City communities (South Bronx, East/Central Harlem, Central Brooklyn) and the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

The influence of socioeconomic factors and family context on energy-dense food consumption among 2-year-old children

“…A recent study 29 described that the food offered to children at home is less healthy than those offered at child-care centres in the US and among the 16 child-care centres included in the study, none reported providing soft drinks to children. 32 In the present study, 32% of children at 2-years-of-age had a daily consumption of energy-dense foods (soft drinks, sweets, cakes or salty snacks), this number was low compared with those reported by studies in other developed countries.…”

Reducing discretionary food and beverage intake in early childhood: a systematic review within an ecological framework

“…The majority of research within educational institutions has been from intervention studies; seven strategies (3,39,46,54) were identified compared with two exposures from observational studies (53) . A total of six exposures have been examined within the community setting, all from observational research (26,27,29,41,48,51) . Studies were also mapped by environment type (i.e.…”

“…restaurants, clubs, fast food, takeaway) (57) . The frequency of meals away from home, a communitybased socio-cultural influence, was significantly associated with higher children's intake of discretionary choices (60 % of studies) (26,27,29,41) . This highlights an opportunity for interventions to evaluate strategies to support parents at times when meals are consumed away from home; for example, healthy options guide or skills-based resources of nutritious foods to take when likely to consume foods away from home.…”

Orders of Healthier Adult Menu Items in a Full-Service Restaurant Chain with a Healthier Children’s Menu

“…To our knowledge, there is no evidence evaluating whether orders of adult menu items are healthier when the healthy menu intervention is targeted to the children’s menu. Yet adults can serve as role models for healthier choices in restaurants [ 12 ], can help establish norms around healthy dietary practices [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ], and engage in other food-related parenting practices that can promote healthier choices in restaurants for children [ 16 , 17 ]. Restaurant meals are also associated with poorer overall dietary quality and chronic disease risk in adults [ 2 , 18 , 19 , 20 ].…”