Effects of Healthy Eating Promotion on Food Preference of Head Start Preschoolers

Meizi He,Summer Wilmoth,Erica Sosa,Arely Perez,David Bustos,Alberto Cordova,Zenong Yin

doi:10.5171/2015.830827

Abstract

Effects of Healthy Eating Promotion on Food Preference of Head Start Preschoolers

Highlights

Obesity is the fastest growing health concern in the United States (US).(Ogden et al 2006) The prevalence of obesity among children aged 2-5 years has reached 12.4%.(Ogden, Carroll, Curtin, McDowell, Tabak, & Flegal 2006) These statistics are of particular concern for Hispanic children, who have the highest rates of obesity and who represent the largest, youngest, and fastest-growing minority group in the nation
The combined center-based and home-based approach appears more promising than the center-based intervention alone
The effectiveness of the program on primary outcomes including BMI, physical activity level and food intake during lunch was reported by Yin et al(Yin et al 2012) The present paper reports the healthy eating intervention strategies and their effects on Head Start preschoolers’ food preference

Summary

Introduction

Obesity is the fastest growing health concern in the United States (US).(Ogden et al 2006) The prevalence of obesity among children aged 2-5 years has reached 12.4%.(Ogden, Carroll, Curtin, McDowell, Tabak, & Flegal 2006) These statistics are of particular concern for Hispanic children, who have the highest rates of obesity and who represent the largest, youngest, and fastest-growing minority group in the nation. (Schmitz and Jeffery 2000;Steinbeck 2001) Child-care facilities are considered as important settings for early childhood obesity prevention.(Larson et al 2011) In the USA, Head Start is a federally funded early childhood education program for nearly one million low-income preschool children with one third being overweight and obesity. Head Start programs provide comprehensive services to enrolled children and their families including health, nutrition, and social services.(The Office of Head Start (OHS) 2014) Head Start Programs present a promising venue for obesity prevention interventions among high risk Hispanic preschoolers. Recent recommendations have emphasized on the importance of using both environmental and behavioral approaches to address the childhood obesity problem.(Birch and Ventura 2009) As such, a comprehensive primary obesity prevention program “MIRANOS!” (Look at US, We Are Healthy) was implemented in Head Start Centers in San Antonio, Texas from September 2010 to April 2011. The effectiveness of the program on primary outcomes including BMI, physical activity level and food intake during lunch was reported by Yin et al(Yin et al 2012) The present paper reports the healthy eating intervention strategies and their effects on Head Start preschoolers’ food preference

Methods

2012) Study participants were predominantly

Chapter 3: What Body Tells Me

Results

Discussion

Conclusions