Early education and health outcomes of a 2001 U.S. Birth Cohort

Head Start and children's nutrition, weight, and health care receipt

“…While our study found beneficial associations between HS participation and nutrition status, a recent study reported no differences (Belfield & Kelly, in press). This is notable given that both studies used the same data (i.e., the ECLS-B) and methods (i.e., propensity score-weighted regressions).…”

“…This is notable given that both studies used the same data (i.e., the ECLS-B) and methods (i.e., propensity score-weighted regressions). One possible explanation is that the two studies used different ways to measure nutrition outcomes; while six dichotomized eating items (i.e., vegetables, fruits, sodas, fast foods, sweet snacks, and salty snacks) were individually used by Belfield and Kelly (in press), our study used two additional items (i.e., milk and 100% fruit juices) to create two continuous healthy and unhealthy eating scales. However, we note that another study using dichotomized individual eating items (as well as the same data and methods) reported improved nutrition status among children in CACFP-participating HS and other centers (Korenman et al, in press).…”

“…Another possible explanation is that the two studies defined HS participants differently. We defined HS participants as all children who had attended HS on a regular basis regardless of whether it was the primary care arrangement, whereas in the Belfield and Kelly (in press) study, HS participants included only children whose primary care arrangement was HS. Therefore, in the Belfield and Kelly (in press) study, the comparison group might have included some children who spent some time in HS (but whose primary care arrangement was not HS).…”

“…To examine a comprehensive set of outcomes closely related to HS health and nutrition components, based on prior research (Belfield & Kelly, in press; Gormley et al, 2010; Hale et al, 1990; Korenman et al, in press; USDHHS, ACF, 2010), we analyzed six nutrition, weight, and health care receipt outcome variables that were collected at the kindergarten wave. First, we used BMI z -scores, calculated by normalizing BMI to the population based on children's age in months and gender (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2000).…”

“…First, Belfield and Kelly (in press) investigated the associations between early childhood education and a wide set of health outcomes, including health behaviors and screening. They found that HS participants showed no differences in weight and nutrition status compared to those who received care from relatives, non-relatives, or parents.…”