RecruitingNot ApplicableNCT05977348

Increasing Food Literacy in Preschoolers to Reduce Obesity Risk

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

Sponsor

Penn State University

Enrollment

770 participants

Start Date

Oct 3, 2023

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Conditions

Food Selection Obesity, Childhood Food Preferences Eating, Healthy

Summary

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.

Eligibility

Min Age: 3 YearsMax Age: 6 Years

Inclusion Criteria1

Preschool children enrolled in participating centers

Exclusion Criteria5

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

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Interventions

BEHAVIORALHealthy 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.

BEHAVIORALImproving 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 "tasting charts" that children will stamp to indicate their liking for each food each week.

BEHAVIORALParent 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.

BEHAVIORALECE 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.