Identification of factors that influence the menu at child care centers: A grounded theory approach

Abstract

Objective This study was conducted to identify factors that influence what is on the menu at child care centers. Design Quantitative and qualitative data on menus, food preparation, and foodservice were collected during site visits to child care centers. Grounded theory methods were used to develop an explanation of child care menu planning that is “grounded” in data. Sample and setting Three child care centers were selected in each of three communities representing different ethnic cultures in Texas. Main outcome measure Quality of child care menus, as measured by nutrient content and variety and amount of food served, constituted the core category or main phenomenon. Analyses Open and axial coding of the qualitative data were performed to identify significant themes and concepts and to explore their interrelationships in order to produce an explanation of the quality of child care menus. Results The patterns of strenghts and weaknesses in the menus were similar in all three ethnic/geographic regions that were visited and were similar to findings in other states. The factors that have the most direct influence on the menus are food program requirements, staff perceptions of children's food preferences, history of the food program at the center, and cost. Applications/conclusions The data and theory support three broad conclusions: (a) child care menus need to be improved; (b) training for child care staff needs to be sensitive to the missions and cultures of different kinds of child care centers; and (c) because lack of staff knowledge has only an indirect influence on the menus, changes in program requirements and strategies for assisting and monitoring food programs in child care centers may also be needed.