Increasing Food Literacy in Preschoolers to Reduce Obesity Risk

Официальное название

Increasing Food Literacy as a Means of Increasing Preschool Children's Food Acceptance and Reducing Obesity Risk

Обзор

The goal of this clinical trial is to examine the effects of a nutrition education program on preschool children's food literacy and food acceptance, and to examine the added influence of a healthy eating curriculum and parent education on children's food knowledge and healthful food choices. The project will be evaluated with 450 children ages 3 to 5 years in center-based childcare programs serving predominantly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)-eligible families in Pennsylvania. Outcomes for children who receive the added healthy eating curriculum will be compared to children in classrooms that only receive the nutrition education program.

Подробное описание

Repeatedly exposing young children to new foods can increase their willingness to try those foods, and they may - with time - learn to like those foods. Being able to learn about, touch and taste new foods can be a powerful tool to foster young children's liking of new foods. This project's goals are to test whether a preschool nutrition education program can improve (1) children's ability to name and identify fruits and vegetables, (2) children's knowledge about food and nutrition, (3) children's healthful food choices during a meal, and (4) parenting around children's eating. Participants will include 450 children ages 3 to 5 years in center-based childcare programs serving a large majority of families experiencing poverty in Pennsylvania. In all classrooms, children will receive food literacy lessons designed to help them learn about different fruits and vegetables, where they grow, and why they are good for our bodies. Children in intervention classrooms will receive food literacy lessons, in addition to lessons on healthy eating designed to improve children's nutrition knowledge. Teachers in intervention classrooms will be provided with materials designed to increase children's knowledge about nutrition and healthy eating. Intervention parents will receive web-based lessons designed to improve parenting practices related to children's eating behaviors. The study will be conducted over a 14-month period, and a variety of child, teacher, classroom and parent outcomes will be measured before, during and after the intervention. The results of this study are anticipated to add new information on ways to improve children's nutrition knowledge and acceptance of fruits and vegetables.

Вмешательства

• Поведенческое Healthy Eating Curriculum
  The Healthy Eating (HE) curriculum is designed to provide children with skills needed to develop healthy eating habits. Each lesson builds upon the overall goal of creating a healthy restaurant. Children are taught to identify differences between GO and WHOA foods, recognize the five food groups, and learn to make healthy food choices.
• Поведенческое Improving the Classroom Food and Mealtime Environment
  HBP+ Classrooms will receive additional sensory activities for each lesson (e.g., posters, food models, games) designed to improve the classroom food environment and provide repeated exposure to activities and messages about fruits and vegetables. Teachers in HBP+ classrooms will be provided with additional training on strategies shown to increase food acceptance in preschool children (e.g., modeling, encouraging children to try foods without coercion). In addition, HBP+ classrooms will include
• Поведенческое Parent Education
  Parents in intervention classrooms will be given access to 8 web-based lessons on food parenting and responsive parenting. Topics include: establishing mealtime routines, shopping healthy on a budget; modeling of healthy eating behaviors; addressing picky eating in children; structuring low-stress mealtime environments; the division of responsibility in feeding, and portion control.
• Поведенческое ECE Food Acceptance Training
  HBP+ early childhood educators (ECEs) will be asked to complete an online, self-paced course on increasing food acceptance in preschool children. Topics will include: repeated exposure to foods; modeling of healthy eating behaviors; addressing picky eating in children; structuring low-stress mealtime environments; and the division of responsibility in feeding.

Первичные конечные точки

• Children's Food Acceptance [Срок оценки: Change from baseline to post-intervention (~6 months)]
• Children's willingness to try novel foods [Срок оценки: Change from baseline to post-intervention (~6 months)]
• Children's Food Literacy [Срок оценки: Change from baseline to post-intervention (~6 months)]
• Children's Food Knowledge [Срок оценки: Change from baseline to post-intervention (~6 months)]
• Children's Food Choices [Срок оценки: Change from baseline to post-intervention (~6 months)]

Вторичные конечные точки (1)

• Child Weight Status/Adiposity [Срок оценки: Change from baseline to post-intervention (~6 months)]

Критерии участия

Критерии включения

• Preschool children enrolled in participating centers

Критерии исключения

• Severe food allergies that prevent children from consuming project foods
• Presence of a developmental or sensory disability that affects food intake and/or learning
• Lack of English fluency (children and caregivers)
• Children not regularly present during days/times that intervention lessons are delivered
• Parents who are not involved in feeding/preparing meals for children at least 50% of the time

Критерии приведены из реестра в оригинале (на английском). Окончательную оценку соответствия проводит исследовательский центр.

Здоровые добровольцы: Да

Дизайн исследования

Распределение

Рандомизированное

Модель

Параллельные группы

Маскирование

Простое слепое

Основная цель

Профилактика

Центры проведения

США · 1 центр

• The Pennsylvania State University — University Park

Идентификаторы

NCT: NCT05977348 · OSP#233045 · 2023-68015-39416

Первоисточники (государственные реестры)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (NIH, США)

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