It is an exciting time for JNEB, and this issue is especially great! Exciting for JNEB because we are online only and with a new website! Check us out at www.jneb.org.
I may be prejudiced as the Editor in Chief, and each of our issues is filled with pearls, but this issue, in particular, has particularly impressed me. Our lead article is a SNEB position paper: Healthful Food for Children is the Same as Adults.
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Of course it is, you say! Think about this concept, though, and read the paper. Think about it when you babysit your grandkids and try to fix lunch or snacks. Think about when youteach nutrition across the lifecycle or when you see what kids are served in restaurants or on picnics. Think about the implications for food companies and marketing firms. I think that although we all (probably) acknowledge this is true, we may not always act on the concept and don't always promote the policies and practice beyond our specific focus.A new idea to me was the concept of diet-related self-identity, as described by Ryan et al.
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In this article, the authors adapted the 8 diet-related self-identity constructs of Rosenfeld and Burrow3
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into 4 constructs. Self-reported dietary patterns were also analyzed. Together, these were analyzed to predict diet quality.Also interesting to me was how Ye et al
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looked at how health communication strategies were received by ethnic groups in China. One was influenced most by mass media, another by family,and the third by village doctors. This analysis lends itself to either using certain strategies with certain groups or broadening communication strategies to include several types in order to ensure widespread acceptance.We know that dietary diversity is important, but the systematic review by Molani Gol et al
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examined the association of dietary diversity with growth outcomes for infants aged under 2 years and for children under 5. Their results suggest a stronger association with the infant-centered studies (45 studies) and less strong for children under 5 years (36 studies). Examining possible modifiers to dietary diversity is recommended by the authors for future studies.Finally, I must comment on the Perspective by Bellows et al.
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They call on us to sustain our research rigor by acknowledging the complexity of our work, enhancing training, and endeavoring to promote funding of our critical research areas. I hope this article is read widely, and that it influences many to consider their own training, collaborations, and the training of our students.References
- Position paper on kids’ food.J Nutr Educ Behav. 2022; 54: 4-11
- Exploring the intersection between diet and self-identity: a cross-sectional study with Australian adults.J Nutr Educ Behav. 2022; 54: 20-27
- The unified model of vegetarian identity: A conceptual framework for understanding plant-based food choices.Appetite. 2017; 112: 78-95
- Development and validation of the Dietarian Identity Questionnaire: assessing self perceptions of animal-product consumption.Appetite. 2018; 127: 182-194
- Health communication patterns and adherence to a micronutrient home fortification program among diverse ethnic groups in rural western China.J Nutr Educ Behav. 2022; 54: 36-45
- Association of dietary diversity with growth outcomes in infants and children under 5 years: a systematic review.J Nutr Educ Behav. 2022; 54: 65-83
- Strengthening nutrition education and behavior research for academicians and practitioners.J Nutr Educ Behav. 2022; 54: 84-93
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© 2021 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior.
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- Position of the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior: Healthful Food for Children is the Same as AdultsJournal of Nutrition Education and BehaviorVol. 54Issue 1
- PreviewA long-held belief in the US is that children need different types of food than adults do. Now ingrained in American culture, the concept of children's food, or a kids’ menu, began more than a century ago when the hospitality, agriculture, and food industries promoted this new social norm to generate revenue. Today, the modern food industry continues to perpetuate demand and explicitly names food for children kids’ food as demonstrated by the title of the Global Kids’ Food and Beverage Products and Marketing for Preschoolers, Younger Kids, and Tweens1 market report.
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- Health Communication Patterns and Adherence to a Micronutrient Home Fortification Program in Rural ChinaJournal of Nutrition Education and BehaviorVol. 54Issue 1Open Access
- Strengthening Nutrition Education and Behavior Research for Academicians and PractitionersJournal of Nutrition Education and BehaviorVol. 54Issue 1
- PreviewNutrition education and behavior research is essential for translating scientific nutrition-related evidence into actionable strategies at the individual, family, community, and policy levels. To enhance the impact of nutrition educators and researchers’ efforts, there is a need for continued and directed support to sustain the rigor of research. It is the perspective of this paper that the field of nutrition education and behavior research address its inherent complexities to meet the diverse investigative strategies used by academicians as well as practitioners.
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- Exploring the Intersection Between Diet and Self-Identity: A Cross-Sectional Study With Australian AdultsJournal of Nutrition Education and BehaviorVol. 54Issue 1
- PreviewDiet-related self-identity, which includes components such as individuals’ overall dietary pattern and food choice motivations, is a strong predictor of health behaviors. This study sought to assess the variation in dietary patterns reported by a sample of Australian adults and their associations with diet quality.
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- Association of Dietary Diversity With Growth Outcomes in Infants and Children Aged Under 5 Years: A Systematic ReviewJournal of Nutrition Education and BehaviorVol. 54Issue 1
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