Sharing is Caring: A Study of Food-Sharing Practices in Australian Early Childhood Education and Care Services.

Ruth Wallace,Leesa Costello,Karen Lombardi,Charlotte De Backer,Amanda Devine

doi:10.3390/nu12010229

Ruth Wallace, Leesa Costello + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12010229

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Abstract

Food connects people, and can significantly impact the physical, social and emotional development of young children. Food sharing and family-style mealtimes can support healthy eating practices and psychological well-being among young children, and carersother than family members, such as Early Childhood Education and Care staff, play an important role in the provision of these practices. Despite increasing numbers of Australian children attending Early Childhood Education and Care services, there is often reluctance among staff to promote such mealtime practices, to the detriment of children’s social and emotional development. The aim of this paper was to focus on the potential role of Early Childhood Education and Care services in facilitating food sharing and family-style mealtime practices in the earliest stages of the lifespan. A qualitative, netnographic approach was used, and data was collected as part of the broader ’Supporting Nutrition for Australian Childcare’ (SNAC) study, via online conversation threads, observations and qualitative interviews. Findings demonstrated that whilst many Early Childhood Education and Care services are committed to supporting food sharing and family-style mealtime practices, a number of barriers were reported. These included the perception that babies and toddlers could not participate in these practices, concerns about food hygiene and cross contamination of allergens, and negative parental influences on food sharing. In conclusion, this paper supports the practice of food sharing in Early Childhood Education and Care settings and calls for them to become embedded in everyday operations to support the physical, social and emotional development of Australia’s future generations.

Highlights

Obesity in childhood has been cited as a neglected public health issue [1], resulting in serious short- and long-term risks to psychological and physiological health, such as low self-esteem [2], and higher risk of developing asthma, Type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease at a younger age [3].One in five Australian children aged 2–4 years were reported as overweight/obese [4], increasing the risk of overweight/obesity in adulthood [5], and affecting both quality of life and life expectancy [6].the health care costs associated with obesity in childhood are significantly higher than those for children of a healthy weight [7]
This paper supports the practice of food sharing in Early Childhood
Education and Care settings and calls for them to become embedded in everyday operations to support the physical, social and emotional development of Australia’s future generations

Summary

Introduction

One in five Australian children aged 2–4 years were reported as overweight/obese [4], increasing the risk of overweight/obesity in adulthood [5], and affecting both quality of life and life expectancy [6]. The health care costs associated with obesity in childhood are significantly higher than those for children of a healthy weight [7]. Nutrients 2020, 12, 229 been a refocus on preventing weight gain; the childhood years represent an important part of the life cycle where healthy practices, such as good nutrition, can be embedded to prevent poorer health outcomes [8]. Optimal nutrition in the first 1000 days of life is associated with improved academic outcomes for children [9], and reduced risk of neurodegeneration in later life [10]

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