Nutritional practices in full-day-care pre-schools

Jennings, A.; McEvoy, S.; Corish, Clare

doi:10.1111/j.1365-277x.2011.01153.x

Cited by 21 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…When examining the self‐reported menu planning practices of services, only 43% of menu planners were fully responsible for planning the menu. This finding is consistent with other studies that have identified involvement from others, including managers, other service staff, parents and nutritionists in the planning of service menus . Despite being responsible for menu planning, a large proportion of menu planners report they do not have sufficient allocated time to undertake menu planning.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Menu planning practices in early childhood education and care – factors associated with menu compliance with sector dietary guidelines

Grady

Stacey

Seward

et al. 2019

Health Prom J of Aust

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Issue addressed: Despite recommendations, early childhood education and care services do not plan menus in accordance with sector dietary guidelines. This study aimed to examine the following among Australian long day care services: (a) menu planning practices; (b) prevalence of menu compliance with sector dietary guidelines;and (c) menu planning practices associated with higher menu compliance with sector dietary guidelines.Methods: Long day care services within Hunter New England, NSW participated in a pen and paper survey assessing menu planning practices and socio-demographic and service characteristics. Two-week menus were assessed for compliance with sector dietary guidelines, based on the number of servings of food groups and discretionary foods provided per child, per day. Results:Staff from 72 services completed the survey and 69 provided their menu.Results indicated the service cook was fully responsible for planning the menu in 43% of services, and 57% had received written support to assist with menu planning. Service menus were compliant with an average of 0.68 out of six food groups and discretionary foods. In poisson regression models, a shorter menu cycle length (P = .04) and the receipt of training opportunities to support menu planning (P < .01) were significantly associated with higher menu compliance. Conclusions: Menu compliance with sector dietary guidelines is low among participating long day care services. So what? The implementation of practices such as shortening of the menu cycle and the provision of training opportunities may assist in the planning of menus that are more compliant with dietary guidelines in this setting. K E Y W O R D S childcare, diet, guidelines, menu, nutrition | 217 GRADY et Al. How to cite this article: Grady A, Stacey F, Seward K, Finch M, Jones J, Yoong SL. Menu planning practices in early childhood education and care -factors associated with menu compliance with sector dietary guidelines. Health Promot J Austral. 2020;31:216-223. https ://doi.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Menu planning practices in early childhood education and care – factors associated with menu compliance with sector dietary guidelines

Grady

Stacey

Seward

et al. 2019

Health Prom J of Aust

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“…Despite this evidence and the availability of guidelines, services often fail to implement recommended policy and practices. For example, Jennings et al found that possession of food and nutrition guidelines by full-day-care pre-schools did not consistently result in their use (16) . Interventions to improve the implementation of nutrition policy and practice in centre-based child-care services therefore represent a considerable opportunity to improve child nutrition at a population level.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

An implementation intervention to encourage healthy eating in centre-based child-care services: impact of the Good for Kids Good for Life programme

Bell

Davies

Finch

et al. 2014

Public Health Nutr.

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Objective: To determine the impact of an implementation intervention designed to introduce policies and practices supportive of healthy eating in centre-based child-care services. Intervention strategies included staff training, resources, incentives, follow-up support, and performance monitoring and feedback. Design: A quasi-experimental design was used to assess change over 20 months in healthy eating policy and practice in intervention and comparison child-care services. Setting: The Hunter New England (HNE) region of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Subjects: All centre-based child-care services (n 287) in the intervention region (HNE) were invited and 240 (91 % response rate) participated. Two hundred and ninety-six services in the rest of NSW were randomly selected as a comparison region and 191 participated (76 % response rate). A sub-analysis was conducted on those services that provided children food (n 196 at baseline and n 190 at follow-up). Ninety-six provided menus for analysis at baseline (HNE, n 36; NSW, n 50) and 102 provided menus at follow-up (HNE, n 50; NSW, n 52). Results: Services in the intervention region were significantly more likely to provide only plain milk and water for children (P 5 0?018) and to engage parents in nutrition policy or programmes (P 5 0?002). They were also more likely (P 5 0?056) to have nutrition policy on home packed food. In addition, menus of services that provided lunch were significantly more likely to comply with healthy eating guidelines for sweetened drinks (P , 0?001), fruit (P , 0?001) and vegetables (P 5 0?01). Conclusions: An implementation intervention was able to modify policy and practice in a large number of child-care services so that they were more supportive of healthy eating.

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“…Although international research demonstrates inadequate food provision (34)(35)(36) and food service (37,38) in the child-care setting, in Ireland little is known about the food provided to children in child care other than that reported by pre-school managers themselves (39) . While the findings of the National Pre-school Nutrition Survey (40) demonstrate poor intakes of vitamin A, Fe and the risk of vitamin D deficiency among children of pre-school age, these data are for a general population, cared for both in the home and in out-of-home care and, to date, no data are available from this survey specifically relating to the intakes of children in full-time care in Ireland (40) .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pre-school manager training: a cost-effective tool to promote nutrition- and health-related practice improvements in the Irish full-day-care pre-school setting

Molloy

Kearney²,

Hayes³

et al. 2013

Public Health Nutr.

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Objective: To evaluate the impact on nutrition-and health-related practice of two methods of delivery of a nutrition and health intervention in Irish full-day-care pre-schools: training of pre-school managers only or training of managers and their staff. Design: A simple randomised study with pre-schools divided into two training groups: 'manager trained' and 'manager and staff trained'. Direct observational data -food and fluid provision, physical activity, outdoor time, staff practices and availability of nutrition and health resources -were recorded during one full day spent in each pre-school both pre-and post-intervention, using a specifically developed and validated Pre-school Health Promotion Activity Scored Evaluation Form. Post-intervention, self-assessment data were also collected using the same evaluation tool. Setting: Pre-schools, Midlands of Ireland. Subjects: A convenience sample of forty-two pre-schools registered with the Irish Health Service Executive. Results: From pre-to post-intervention, significant improvement (P , 0?05) in nutrition-and health-related practice was observed within both intervention delivery groups in all areas evaluated: environment, food service, meals and snacks. No additional effect attributable to staff training was observed. Scores assigned by direct independent observation were lower than pre-school self-assessment scores. Conclusions: The implementation of a training intervention in pre-schools significantly improved practice with no significant benefit of additional staff training. Direct independent observation is required to quantify practice accurately.

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Nutritional practices in full-day-care pre-schools

Cited by 21 publications

References 16 publications

Menu planning practices in early childhood education and care – factors associated with menu compliance with sector dietary guidelines

Menu planning practices in early childhood education and care – factors associated with menu compliance with sector dietary guidelines

An implementation intervention to encourage healthy eating in centre-based child-care services: impact of the Good for Kids Good for Life programme

Pre-school manager training: a cost-effective tool to promote nutrition- and health-related practice improvements in the Irish full-day-care pre-school setting

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