Advertisement
Research Brief| Volume 49, ISSUE 5, P435-440.e1, May 2017

Staff Workshop Improves Child Care Center Menus in South Central Texas: A Best Food for Families, Infants, and Toddlers (Best Food FITS) Intervention

      Abstract

      Objective

      To assess the efficacy of an educational workshop for child care center staff to improve menus.

      Methods

      Staff from 18 centers attended a nutrition educational workshop that included an activity that compared center menus to MyPlate standards. Four weeks of menus collected before and after the workshop were imported into SuperTracker; the Food Details report produced menu data clustered by day and center. Changes in pre-post menus were assessed using Healthy Eating Index scores and the SAS software macro, MIXCORR.

      Results

      After the workshop, there was a lower probability that fruit juice (P = .03) and starchy vegetables (P = .004) and a higher probability that non-starchy vegetables (P < .001) and whole grains (P = .004) were on menus; amounts of refined grains (P = .004), savory snacks (P < .001), and cheese (P = .004) were significantly lower. Total Healthy Eating Index scores improved after the workshop (P = .009).

      Conclusions and Implications

      Comparing 4 weeks of menus revealed menu changes. Workshop interventions show promise for improving children's health.

      Key Words

      To read this article in full you will need to make a payment

      Purchase one-time access:

      Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online access

      SNEB Member Login

      SNEB Members, full access to the journal is a member benefit. Login via the SNEB Website to access all journal content and features.

      Subscribe:

      Subscribe to Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
      Already a print subscriber? Claim online access
      Already an online subscriber? Sign in
      Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect

      References

        • Ogden C.L.
        • Carroll M.D.
        • Kit B.K.
        • Flegal K.M.
        Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the United States, 2011–2012.
        JAMA. 2014; 311: 806-814
        • Ogden C.L.
        • Carroll M.D.
        • Lawman H.G.
        • et al.
        Trends in obesity prevalence among children and adolescents in the United States, 1988–1994 through 2013–2014.
        JAMA. 2016; 315: 2292-2299
      1. Texas Education Agency. Fitness data. www.tea.texas.gov/Texas_Schools/Safe_and_Healthy_Schools/Physical_Fitness_Assessment_Initiative/Fitness_Data. Accessed July 9, 2016.

      2. Texas Department of State Health Services. Best Food For Families, Infants and Toddlers! (Best Food FITS!). http://bestfoodfits.fcs.txstate.edu. Accessed November 10, 2015.

        • Kettel Khan L.
        • Sobush K.
        • Keener D.
        • et al.
        Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: recommended community strategies and measurements to prevent obesity in the United States.
        Centers Dis Control Prev. 2009; (RR-7): 58
        • Cunningham S.A.
        • Kramer M.R.
        • Narayan K.M.
        Incidence of childhood obesity in the United States.
        N Engl J Med. 2014; 370: 403-411
        • Crixell S.H.
        • Friedman B.
        • Fisher D.
        • Biediger-Friedman L.
        Improving children's menus in community restaurants: Best Food for Families, Infants, and Toddlers (Best Food FITS) intervention, south central Texas, 2010–2014.
        Prev Chronic Dis. 2014; 11: 1-12
        • Gungor N.K.
        Overweight and obesity in children and adolescents.
        J Clin Res Pediatr Endocrinol. 2014; 6: 129-143
        • Birch L.L.
        • Doub A.E.
        Learning to eat: birth to age 2 y.
        Am J Clin Nutr. 2014; 99: 723S-728S
        • Fox M.K.
        • Condon E.
        • Briefel R.R.
        • Reidy K.C.
        • Deming D.M.
        Food consumption patterns of young preschoolers: are they starting off on the right path?.
        J Am Diet Assoc. 2010; 110: S52-S59
        • Kim S.A.
        • Moore L.V.
        • Galuska D.
        • et al.
        Vital signs: fruit and vegetable intake among children—United States, 2003-2010.
        MMWR. 2014; 63: 671-677
      3. Laughlin L. Who's Minding the Kids? Child Care Arrangements: Spring 2011. https://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p70-135.pdf. Accessed March 15, 2017.

        • Story M.
        • Kaphingst K.M.
        • French S.
        The role of child care settings in obesity prevention.
        Futur Child. 2006; 16: 143-168
        • Maalouf J.
        • Evers S.C.
        • Griffin M.
        • Lyn R.
        Assessment of mealtime environments and nutrition practices in child care centers in Georgia.
        Child Obes. 2013; 9: 437-445
        • Benjamin Neelon S.E.
        • Vaughn A.
        • Ball S.C.
        • McWilliams C.
        • Ward D.S.
        Nutrition practices and mealtime environments of North Carolina child care centers.
        Child Obes. 2012; 8: 216-223
        • Copeland K.A.
        • Benjamin Neelon S.E.
        • Howald A.E.
        • Wosje K.S.
        Nutritional quality of meals compared to snacks in child care.
        Child Obes. 2013; 9: 223-232
        • Dev D.A.
        • McBride B.A.
        • Speirs K.E.
        • Donovan S.M.
        • Cho H.K.
        Predictors of Head Start and child-care providers' healthful and controlling feeding practices with children aged 2 to 5 years.
        J Acad Nutr Diet. 2014; 114: 1396-1403
        • Trost S.G.
        • Messner L.
        • Fitzgerald K.
        • Roths B.
        Nutrition and physical activity policies and practices in family child care homes.
        Am J Prev Med. 2009; 37: 537-540
        • Sharma S.
        • Dortch K.S.
        • Byrd-Williams C.
        • et al.
        Nutrition-related knowledge, attitudes, and dietary behaviors among Head Start teachers in Texas: a cross-sectional study.
        J Acad Nutr Diet. 2013; 113: 558-562
        • Alkon A.
        • Crowley A.A.
        • Neelon S.E.
        • et al.
        Nutrition and physical activity randomized control trial in child care centers improves knowledge, policies, and children's body mass index.
        BMC Public Health. 2014; 14: 215
      4. United States Department of Agriculture. SuperTracker. www.supertracker.usda.gov/foodtracker.aspx. Accessed July 10, 2016.

        • Glanz K.
        • Rimer B.K.
        Theory at a Glance: A Guide for Health Promotion Practice.
        U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD2005
        • Tooze J.A.
        • Grunwald G.K.
        • Jones R.H.
        Analysis of repeated measures data with clumping at zero.
        Stat Methods Med Res. 2002; 11: 345-355
        • Warne R.T.
        • Li Y.
        • McKyer E.L.
        • Condie R.
        • Diep C.S.
        • Murano P.S.
        Managing clustered data using hierarchical linear modeling.
        J Nutr Educ Behav. 2012; 44: 271-277
        • Dodd K.W.
        • Guenther P.M.
        • Freedman L.S.
        • et al.
        Statistical methods for estimating usual intake of nutrients and foods: a review of the theory.
        J Am Diet Assoc. 2006; 106: 1640-1650
        • Ritchie L.D.
        • Boyle M.
        • Chandran K.
        • et al.
        Participation in the child and adult care food program is associated with more nutritious foods and beverages in child care.
        Child Obes. 2012; 8: 224-229
        • Gelman A.
        • Hill J.
        • Yajima M.
        Why we (usually) don't have to worry about multiple comparisons.
        J Res Educ Eff. 2012; 5: 189-211
      5. National Cancer Institute Division of Cancer Control & Population Sciences. HEI tools for researchers. https://epi.grants.cancer.gov/hei/tools.html. Accessed November 30, 2016.

        • Ward D.S.
        • Benjamin S.E.
        • Ammerman A.S.
        • Ball S.C.
        • Neelon B.H.
        • Bangdiwala S.I.
        Nutrition and physical activity in child care: results from an environmental intervention.
        Am J Prev Med. 2008; 35: 352-356
        • Tooze J.A.
        • Midthune D.
        • Dodd K.W.
        • et al.
        A new method for estimating the usual intake of episodically-consumed foods with application to their distribution.
        J Am Diet Assoc. 2006; 106: 1575-1587
        • Hoelscher D.M.
        • Kirk S.
        • Ritchie L.
        • Cunningham-Sabo L.
        Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: interventions for the prevention and teatment of pediatric overweight and obesity.
        J Acad Nutr Diet. 2013; 113: 1375-1394
        • Sisson S.B.
        • Krampe M.
        • Anundson K.
        • Castle S.
        Obesity prevention and obesogenic behavior interventions in child care: a systematic review.
        Prev Med (Baltim). 2016; 87: 57-69
      6. Planting dates calendar for San Marcos, TX. Farmers' Almanac. http://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-dates/TX/San+Marcos. Accessed July 7, 2016.

        • Natale R.A.
        • Lopez-Mitnik G.
        • Uhlhorn S.B.
        • Asfour L.
        • Messiah S.E.
        Effect of a child care center-based obesity prevention program on body mass index and nutrition practices among preschool-aged children.
        Health Promot Pract. 2014; 15: 1-11
        • Larson N.
        • Ward D.S.
        • Neelon S.B.
        • Story M.
        What role can child-care settings play in obesity prevention? A review of the evidence and call for research efforts.
        J Am Diet Assoc. 2011; 111: 1343-1362