WISEly Improving Preschoolers Fruit and Vegetable Consumption at Home

Abstract

This study examines the change in nutritional practices in homes of children participating in Together, We Inspire Smart Eating (WISE), an evidence-based curriculum to provide weekly food experiences. Besides Head Start programs, the curriculum has been adapted for children served by the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) in Kindergarten and first grade. This study represents data from families served by 13 centers in a Head Start program in a rural southern state. In eight centers, educators were not trained in WISE. In five centers, teachers were trained on the use of WISE. The WISE curriculum includes three key components: classroom curriculum, educator training, and parent education. All program components are based on published best practice recommendations from evidence-based sources on healthy nutrition. Parents were interviewed at enrollment and at the end of the school year by educators using modified Family Map Inventories (FMI), an interview developed to assess important aspects of the family and home environment associated with well-being in young children. Four ANOVA modeled the difference in consumption of WISE and comparison children controlling for consumption pre-enrollment, age of child, race/ethnicity of child, and parent education level. Group membership (WISE vs. Comparison) was a significant predictor of each model. The WISE curriculum resulted in improved reports of dietary intake in the home of preschool children. The curriculum was designed with a strong parent component which provided multiple opportunities for classroom activities to filter to the parent. While increases are small, they are consistent across measures suggesting a shift in nutrition practices in the home.