Involvement In Food Preparation Research Articles

Exploring the feasibility of using evidence-based feeding practices to promote children's healthy eating in holiday clubs.

Encouraging healthy eating is a public health priority in the United Kingdom (UK), given the high prevalence of poor diet and overweight/obesity among school-aged children. Holiday clubs are organisations providing childcare and activities during the school holidays and frequently provide food to children at risk of food insecurity, primarily through government-funded programmes like the Holiday Activities and Food programme. However, the research suggests that holiday clubs could do more to maximise opportunities to promote children's healthy eating by using evidence-based feeding practices. During August-September 2020, video-based interviews were conducted exploring staff perceptions of the feasibility of using four evidence-based feeding practices to promote children's healthy eating: modelling; involvement in food choice; involvement in food preparation and cooking and involvement in meal planning. Feasibility was assessed using four dimensions of a feasibility framework (acceptability, demand, practicality and implementation). UK holiday clubs. Twenty-five staff actively involved in delivering UK holiday clubs (project leaders, coordinators, cooks and coaches/youth workers). Staff generally reported good acceptability (dimension 1) and demand (dimension 2) for the feeding practices. However, the practicality (dimension 3) of using the practices was dependent on various factors (logistics, resources, staff readiness, children, peers and parents). Promisingly, in the fourth feasibility dimension (implementation), staff provided numerous practical solutions to overcome these barriers. Evidence-based feeding practices can be implemented in numerous ways and are therefore generally feasible in holiday clubs. Holiday clubs should be empowered to use evidence-based feeding practices through training resources, sharing networks and provision of sustainable funding.

Cooking With Kids: A Preliminary Conceptual Model of Child Involvement in Home Food Preparation and Diet Quality

Abstract Objectives Developing culinary skills in children is an increasingly popular approach to health promotion, and parents can play a critical role in this by involving children in food preparation. Yet little is known about how parents cook with their children or the pathways linking child food involvement and downstream health. Our objective was to develop a conceptual framework of this process. Methods The framework was developed through data, investigator, and theory triangulation. We leveraged a re-analysis of observations of parents preparing meals with their children in the home (n = 15) consensus-building discussions between members of the research team and experts in related fields, and from the extant scientific literature. Results We identified three interrelated ways child involvement in food preparation can be optimized to support downstream health: 1) skill building, 2) positive environment, and 3) teaching. Through modeling cooking practices, exposure to new tasks/foods, and encouragement, parents transmit cooking skills to their children tailored to their home food environment. Additionally, parents nurture child autonomy and receptivity to learning by creating a positive emotional climate during food preparation. This creates an optimal setting for children to learn complex cognitive skills, such as those related to executive functioning (EF), which are critical to ensuring other forms of knowledge learned (e.g., measurement and counting) transfer to academic success in the real-world across subjects like reading, science, and math. As better EF is linked to higher dietary quality and lower weight, the combination of cooking/food skills with improved EF executive functioning will synergistically support healthy eating. Conclusions By involving children in food preparation, parents can facilitate the development of healthy cognitive skills and eating behaviors, which have been shown to influence health into adulthood across a variety of domains. Investment in cooking education for kids should be accompanied by parallel training for parents on how to optimally engage children in food preparation at home. Funding Sources This research was supported in part by the USDA/ARS under Cooperative Agreement No. 58-3092-0-001.

Twelve-Month Efficacy of an Obesity Prevention Program Targeting Hispanic Families With Preschoolers From Low-Income Backgrounds

ObjectiveAssess effects of an obesity prevention program promoting eating self-regulation and healthy preferences in Hispanic preschool children. DesignRandomized controlled trial with pretest, posttest, 6- and 12-month assessments. Fourteen waves, each lasting 7 weeks. SettingFamilies recruited from Head Start across 2 sites. ParticipantsTwo hundred fifty-five families randomized into prevention (n = 136) or control (n = 119). InterventionPrevention received curriculum; control received no curriculum. Main Outcome Measure(s)Feeding knowledge/practices/styles (parent); body mass index percentile, eating self-regulation, trying new foods, and fruit/vegetable consumption (child). AnalysisMultilevel analyses for nested data (time points within families; families within waves) and multinomial regression. ResultsProgram increased mothers’ repeated presentation of new foods (P < 0.05), measured portion sizes (P < 0.05), child involvement in food preparation (P < 0.001), feeding responsiveness (P < 0.001), knowledge of best feeding practices (P < 0.001), and feeding efficacy (P < 0.05); reduced feeding misconceptions (P < 0.01) and uninvolved feeding (P < 0.01). Effects on child eating behavior were minimal. At 12 months, children in the prevention group were less likely to have overweight (P < 0.05) or obesity (P < 0.05). Conclusions and ImplicationsProgram effects emphasize the importance of feeding approaches in reducing childhood obesity.

Finally, the chance to eat healthily: Longitudinal study about food consumption during and after the first COVID-19 lockdown in Italy

With the COVID-19 outbreak, structural constraints and social psychological factors changed the dietary habits of many people. This two-wave longitudinal study performed in Italy aimed to explore people’s perceptions of changes in healthy and unhealthy food consumption before and during the first lockdown and the possible persistence of such changes after its official end, as a function of the number of people cohabiting, negative emotion activation, and individual eating styles. A total of 728 Italian adults completed self-reported food consumption measures and related psychological variables at both time points. In the lockdown period, participants reported an increase in healthy food consumption and involvement in cooking and a decrease in the consumption of junk food. This general pattern was stronger for both young and restrained eaters. The intensity of negative emotions and the number of cohabitants were not associated with the examined behaviour. In the post-lockdown period, the new consumption pattern acquired during the confinement was partially discontinued: participants cut down their healthy food consumption as well as their involvement in food preparation, but they continued to reduce their junk food intake. These results suggest that people’s food consumption patterns can easily improve when the situation is favourable (e.g., more time and opportunities for cooking healthy meals) and offer an interesting theoretical contribution to understanding the factors useful in promoting healthy eating, in the event of a future outbreak.

Preparation (mis)perception: effects of involvement on food attributes and desirability

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess the effect of involvement in food preparation on estimated calorie content, perception of portion size and desirability of the food item.Design/methodology/approachTo test the hypotheses, three between-subjects experiments (one online, two in a laboratory setting) were conducted. Across the three experiments, participants were presented with a food item either ready for consumption (low involvement) or with the individual ingredients in need of assembly prior to consumption (high involvement).FindingsResults showed that when a consumer is involved in the preparation of their food, they perceive the food to be lower in calories and smaller in portion size than when the same food is presented fully prepared and ready-to-eat. In addition, the effect of food preparation involvement on perception of portion size has negative downstream consequences on food desirability, as a smaller perceived portion resulted in a less desirable food item.Originality/valueTo the authors’ knowledge, the results of this research are the first to focus on the impact of preparation involvement on perceptions of the specific product attributes of calorie content and portion size, and the downstream effect on desirability.

Exploring the association between food insecurity and food skills among school-aged children.

To examine the relationship between household food insecurity (FI) and children's involvement in family meal choices and food preparation, used as proxies for children's food skills, and to explore gender differences within these associations. Households were classified as food-secure or food-insecure using the six-item, short-form Household Food Security Survey Module. Children's involvement in family meal choices and food preparation were treated as proxies for children's food skills. Mixed-effects multinomial logistic regression models were used. Public schools in Nova Scotia, Canada. 5244 children in the fifth grade (10-11 years old) participating in the Children's Lifestyle and School Performance Study (CLASS). Most children reported being involved in family meal choices or food preparation at least weekly (74 and 68 %). The likelihood of helping choose family meals once a week was 33 % lower among girls from food-insecure households compared to girls from food-secure households. No differences in boys' involvement in family meal choices were observed according to household FI status. Boys from food-insecure households were 65 % more likely than boys from food-secure households to assist with food preparation/cooking four times per week. No differences in girls' involvement in food preparation were observed according to household FI status. Findings support that household FI is not due to a lack of food skills but most likely due to inadequate access to resources. This supports the call for upstream policies targeting the structural issues underpinning household FI such as low income.

The Association Between Child Cooking Involvement in Food Preparation and Fruit and Vegetable Intake in a Hispanic Youth Population.

ABSTRACTBackgroundCooking interventions have been linked to reductions in obesity and improvements in dietary intake in children.ObjectiveTo assess whether child cooking involvement (CCI) was associated with fruit intake (FI), vegetable intake (VI), vegetable preference (VP), and vegetable exposure (VE) in children participating in the Texas, Grow! Eat! Go! (TGEG) randomized controlled trial.MethodsBaseline data from TGEG included 1231 3rd grade students and their parents. Conducted in 28 low-income, primarily Hispanic schools across Texas, TGEG schools were assigned to: 1) Coordinated School Health (CSH) only (control group), 2) CSH plus gardening and nutrition intervention (Learn, Grow, Eat & Go! or LGEG group), 3) CSH plus physical activity intervention (Walk Across Texas or WAT group), and 4) CSH plus LGEG plus WAT (combined group). Height, weight, dietary intake, VE, VP, and CCI were collected at baseline and postintervention. Linear regressions were used to assess the relation between baseline CCI and fruit and vegetable (FV) intake, VE, and VP. A priori covariates included age, sex, race/ethnicity, and TGEG treatment group.ResultsChildren who were always involved in family cooking had higher VP and VE when compared with children who were never involved in family cooking (β = 3.26; 95% CI: 1.67, 4.86; P < 0.01 and β = 2.26; 95% CI: 0.67, 3.85; P < 0.01, respectively). Both VI and FI were higher for children who were always involved in family cooking compared with children who never cooked with their family (β = 2.45; 95% CI: 1.47, 3.44; P < 0.01 and β = 0.93; 95% CI: 0.48, 1.39; P < 0.01, respectively). VI and fruit consumption were higher for children who reported being sometimes involved in family cooking compared with children who were never involved in family cooking, (β = 1.47; 95% CI: 0.51, 2.42; P < 0.01, and β = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.20, 1.08; P < 0.01, respectively).ConclusionsResults show a positive relation between family cooking and FV intake and preference in high-risk, minority children.

Childhood involvement in family food preparation and shopping and attitudes towards food: baseline results from Project Daire

AbstractEvidence suggests that dietary intake of UK children is currently suboptimal. It is therefore imperative to identify effective and sustainable methods of improving dietary habits and knowledge in this population, whilst also promoting the value of healthiness of food products beyond price. Schools are ideally placed to influence children's knowledge and health, and Project Daire, in partnership with schools, food industry partners and stakeholders, aims to improve children's knowledge of, and interest in, food to improve health, wellbeing and educational attainment.Daire is a randomised-controlled, factorial design trial evaluating two interventions. In total, n = 880 Key Stage (KS) 1 and 2 pupils have been recruited from 18 primary schools in the North West of Northern Ireland and will be randomised to one of four 6-month intervention arms: i) ‘Engage’, ii) ‘Nourish’, iii) ‘Engage’ and ‘Nourish’ and iv) Delayed. ‘Engage’ is an age-appropriate, cross-curricular educational intervention on food, agriculture, science and careers linked to the current curriculum. ‘Nourish’ is an intervention aiming to alter schools’ food environments and increase exposure to local foods. Study outcomes include food knowledge, attitudes, trust, diet, behaviour, health and wellbeing and will be collected at baseline and six months. Qualitative data on teacher/pupil opinions will also be collected. The intervention phase is currently ongoing. We present baseline results from our involvement and food attitudes measure from all participating schools. Results were compared by Key Stage and sex using Pearson Chi-Squared test.Baseline results from our food involvement and attitudes measure are presented for n = 880 KS1 (n = 454) and KS2 (n = 426) pupils. KS1 pupils were more likely to always or sometimes help with food shopping (89.0%) whilst KS2 pupils were more likely to always or sometimes help with food preparation (69.0%). A higher proportion of KS1 pupils reported liking to try new foods (66.1%) and that it was important that food looked (64.5%), tasted (71.1%) and smelled good (60.6%) compared with KS2 children (P &lt; 0.01). Girls were more likely to always or sometimes help with food shopping (96.2%) and preparation (73%) when compared with boys; whilst a higher proportion of girls reported they liked to try new foods (48.2%) and that it was important that food looked (68%) smelled (50.5%) and tasted (71.8%) good compared with boys (P &lt; 0.01).Results suggest that involvement in food preparation and shopping, willingness to try new foods and attitudes towards food presentation varied by KS and sex in this cohort.

Youth involvement in food preparation practices at home: A multi-method exploration of Latinx youth experiences and perspectives

Youth are frequently involved in preparing meals for themselves and family members. Latinx youth may be more likely to be involved in food preparation compared to youth from other ethnic backgrounds. Involvement in food preparation has been linked to various positive health outcomes, such as better diet quality and higher self-esteem. However, little is known about how youth come to be involved in food preparation at home. In addition, previous research has failed to explore the perspectives of youth regarding their role in food preparation. The objective of the present study was to qualitatively explore the food preparation practices of youth from im/migrant Latinx families. A multi-method study consisting of participatory focus groups embedded within an ethnographic fieldwork period was conducted. Participatory focus groups with Latinx youth featured inclusive discussions and participatory techniques, such as draw-write-tell activities, photo-elicitation activities, a decision-making chart activity, and listing activities. Twenty-three youths ages 9–17 years participated in this study. A thematic analysis uncovered themes related to gender norm expectations, specific cooking skills bound by age and food type, and food preparation as an important household contribution. Findings illustrate the diverse experiences of Latinx youth in food preparation. The investigation of youth involvement in food preparation in the home environment may identify potential targets for obesity prevention and dietary health promotion.

College Students and Eating Habits: A Study Using An Ecological Model for Healthy Behavior.

Overweightness and obesity rates have increased dramatically over the past few decades and they represent a health epidemic in the United States (US). Unhealthy dietary habits are among the factors that can have adverse effects on weight status in young adulthood. The purpose of this explorative study was to use a qualitative research design to analyze the factors (barriers and enablers) that US college students perceived as influencing healthy eating behaviors. A group of Cornell University students (n = 35) participated in six semi-structured focus groups. A qualitative software, CAQDAS Nvivo11 Plus, was used to create codes that categorized the group discussions while using an Ecological Model. Common barriers to healthy eating were time constraints, unhealthy snacking, convenience high-calorie food, stress, high prices of healthy food, and easy access to junk food. Conversely, enablers to healthy behavior were improved food knowledge and education, meal planning, involvement in food preparation, and being physically active. Parental food behavior and friends’ social pressure were considered to have both positive and negative influences on individual eating habits. The study highlighted the importance of consulting college students when developing healthy eating interventions across the campus (e.g., labeling healthy food options and information campaigns) and considering individual-level factors and socio-ecological aspects in the analysis.

NP35 - Use of Engaging Online Videos in Conjunction with New Feeding Content to Enhance a Current EFNEP Program

Objective: The overall purpose of the study is to examine the effectiveness of disseminating child feeding content through the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) in Washington State and Colorado Extension. Two implementation methods are being compared: an in-class implementation where videos and in-class activities were added to the Eating Smart * Being Active (ESBA) curriculum and an online implementation where the participants view online videos and complete online activities after the in-person ESBA classes. The design is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) where participants are randomly assigned to one of the two implementation conditions or to an ESBA only control group. Description: Videos from a previous study were modified and additional footage was added to enhance the newly developed in-person and online child feeding content. In-class activities and online games were developed to support material in the videos. Participants are parents with a child aged 2–8 years participating in the EFNEP in Colorado and Washington State. The online and in-person curriculum was piloted with 30 low-income parents. Evaluation: Preliminary results based on the pilot data showed significant increases in parental responsiveness during feeding, child involvement in food preparation, use of measured portions, responsiveness to child satiety cues, and offering new foods. The RCT is currently being conducted in two counties in Colorado and three counties in Washington. To date, 137 parents in Washington and 152 parents in Colorado have been enrolled; 350 parents are expected to participate by the end of the study. Conclusions and Implications: Extension appears to be an effective way to disseminate feeding information to low-income parents through the EFNEP program. Results from the study will be available for presentation. Funding: 2015-68001-23311. The following is the supplementary data to this article: Download .pdf (.95 MB) Help with pdf files Poster

Family food involvement is related to healthier dietary intake in preschool-aged children

Children in the United States fall far short of meeting federal dietary recommendations. The unhealthy diets common amongst young children are of crucial public health concern, given that they can inhibit healthy development and are predictive of chronic diseases in adulthood. Research investigating behaviors that are related to dietary habits is crucial to allow a better understanding of the causes of unhealthy dietary practices. Involvement in food preparation is known to be associated with healthy dietary behaviors in school-aged children, but little is known about these behaviors and their correlates in younger children. The present study sought to examine the influences and correlates of involvement in family food preparation in children at ages three and four. Parents of preschool aged children (n = 497) completed surveys including information about demographic background, their children's family food involvement, dietary intake, mealtime routines, and problematic eating behaviors. Data were collected when children were three (wave one of the survey) and four years of age (wave two). Findings from this study indicate that family food involvement at age three is predictive of healthier dietary intake at age four (increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, decreased consumption of fast food). These findings indicate that family food involvement is predictive of healthier dietary behaviors in young children, and that outreach efforts focused on family food involvement in early childhood may improve children's dietary habits.

Family Food Preparation and Its Effects on Adolescent Dietary Quality and Eating Patterns

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to describe parent and adolescent involvement in food preparation for the family and to examine whether adolescents' food preparation involvement was related to their dietary quality (e.g., fruit and vegetable intake, sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, and various common nutrients) and eating patterns (e.g., frequency of breakfast, family meals, fast food intake). MethodsData from two linked population-based studies, Eating and Activity in Teens 2010 and Families and Eating and Activity among Teens were used in cross-sectional analyses. Mothers (n = 1,875), stepmothers (n = 18), fathers (n = 977), stepfathers (n = 105), and adolescents (n = 2,108) from socioeconomically and racially/ethnically diverse households participated in the study. Adolescents completed food frequency questionnaires and surveys in school. Parents individually completed surveys by mail or phone. Linear regression was used to estimate differences in adolescent dietary quality and eating patterns between those who do and do not engage in meal preparation. ResultsParent and adolescent report of “usually preparing food for the family” was related to several sociodemographic characteristics, including race/ethnicity (minority populations), parent education (college or higher), parent employment status (part time or stay-at-home caregiver), household size (≤3 children), and adolescent gender (female). Adolescent involvement in food preparation for the family was significantly associated with several markers of better dietary quality and better eating patterns. In contrast, parent involvement in food preparation for the family was unrelated to adolescent dietary intake. ConclusionsResults suggest that involving adolescents in food preparation for the family is related to better adolescent dietary quality and eating patterns. Public health interventions and health care providers may want to encourage adolescents to help with food preparation for the family. Additionally, adolescents may benefit from interventions/programs that teach cooking skills in order to increase the likelihood of participating in food preparation for the family.

Involving children in cooking activities: A potential strategy for directing food choices toward novel foods containing vegetables

Involving children in cooking has been suggested as a strategy to improve dietary habits in childhood. Interventions in schools including cooking, gardening and tasting activities have showed promising results. Several cross-sectional surveys demonstrated associations between frequency of involvement in food preparation and better diet quality. However, experimental studies confirming the beneficial effect of cooking on food choices in children are missing from the literature. The objective of the present study was to assess the effect of involving children in cooking on their willingness to taste novel foods, food intake, liking and hunger. A between-subject experiment was conducted with 137 children between 7 and 11 years old. 69 children (COOK group) participated in the preparation of three unfamiliar foods containing vegetables: apple/beetroot juice, zucchini tortilla sandwich and spinach cookies. 68 children (CONTROL group) participated, instead, in a creative workshop. Afterwards, the children were invited to choose, for an afternoon snack, between three familiar vs. unfamiliar foods: orange vs. apple/beetroot juice, potato vs. zucchini tortilla sandwich and chocolate vs. spinach cookie. The mean number of unfamiliar foods chosen per child was higher in the COOK vs. CONTROL group (P = 0.037). The overall willingness to taste the unfamiliar foods was also higher in the COOK group (P = 0.011). The liking for the whole afternoon snack (P = 0.034), for 2 of 3 unfamiliar foods and for 1 of 3 familiar foods was higher in the COOK group (P < 0.05). We did not demonstrate any difference between the two groups in overall food intake and hunger/satiety scores. This study demonstrated that involving children in cooking can increase their willingness to taste novel foods and direct food choices towards foods containing vegetables.

Preschool Children's Food Involvement is Related to Fruit and Vegetable Intake

ObjectiveThe majority of American children fall far short of meeting national nutrition recommendations for fruit and vegetable consumption. Participation in home meal preparation has been associated with stronger preferences for fruits and vegetables and improved diet quality in school‐aged children, but this association has never been examined in younger children. This study investigated the association between involvement in food preparation and planning and fruit and vegetable intake in preschool‐aged children.MethodParents of preschool‐aged children (n = 479) participating in the Synergistic Theory and Research on Obesity and Nutrition Group (STRONG) Kids Study filled out the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire (CFPQ) and a Children's Nutrition Behavior Questionnaire based on the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey, Kindergarten Class (ECLS‐K) interview protocol. The food involvement scale of the CFPQ was calculated (range 0–5), quantifying how much parents encourage children to be involved in meal planning and preparation. Data from the ECLS‐K Children's Nutrition Behavior Questionnaire were transformed to represent the reported number of servings of vegetables and fresh fruit eaten per day by children in the study.ResultsParticipants ate an average of 1.68 servings (SD = .91) of fresh fruit and 1.40 servings (SD = .82) of vegetables per day. Analyses investigated the relationship between food involvement (as measured by the CFPQ, M = 2.92, SD = .95) and fruit and vegetable intake (as measured by the ECLS‐K Children's Nutrition Behavior Questionnaire). Food involvement was strongly correlated with children's vegetable consumption (r(479) = .155, p = .001)) and fresh fruit consumption (r(479) = .141, p = .002)). Fresh fruit intake and vegetable intake were also strongly correlated, r(479) = .376, p &lt; .001.ConclusionsIncreased child participation and involvement with food is positively associated with fruit and vegetable intake among preschool aged children. Future investigations should examine the relationship between food involvement and diet quality over time in attempts to determine the causal direction of this relationship. Research efforts going forward should also investigate the predictors and facilitators of food involvement to identify potential areas for future outreach and intervention efforts.Support or Funding InformationThis research was funded, in part, by grants from the Illinois Council for Agriculture Research to Kristen Harrison (PI) and the University of Illinois Health and Wellness Initiative to Barbara Fiese and Sharon Donovan and United States Department of Agriculture (Hatch 793–328) to Barbara Fiese (PI). The STRONG Kids Team includes Kristen Harrison, Kelly Bost, Brent McBride, Sharon Donovan, Diana Grigsby‐Toussaint, Juhee Kim, Janet Liechty, Angela Wiley, Margarita Teran‐Garcia and Barbara Fiese.Jessica Jarick was supported by the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the Illinois Transdisciplinary Obesity Prevention Program grant (2011‐67001‐30101) to the Division of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Illinois. Correlations between food involvement and fresh fruit and vegetable intake. Food Involvement Fresh Fruit Intake Vegetable Intake Food Involvement .141** .155** Fresh Fruit Intake .376*** Vegetable Intake p &lt; .05, p &lt; .01, p &lt; .001

Long-Term use of Modified Diets in Huntington's Disease: A Descriptive Clinical Practice Analysis on Improving Dietary Enjoyment.

Dysphagia is a very common occurrence in Huntington's disease (HD). As such, many people with HD require texture modified diets. This commentary discusses the implications for individuals living long-term on modified diets, including the loss of sensory stimulation and dietary enjoyment. Clinical practice analyses of two interventions aimed at promoting dietary satisfaction and involvement in food preparation for those with HD are described and parameters for future research are discussed.

Cooking up diversity. Impact of a multicomponent, multicultural, experiential intervention on food and cooking behaviors among elementary-school students from low-income ethnically diverse families

This study evaluated the impact of a pilot intervention promoting ethnic produce through classroom food demonstrations, tastings and home cooking activities among ethnically diverse elementary-school children ages 5–8 years old and their family members in Northern California. A total of 604 intervention students from four schools participated in classroom food demonstrations and tasting activities using seven food recipes. The control group included 600 students from two additional schools. Each recipe featured one vegetable from Latino, Hmong, or mainstream American cultures. Intervention students also received food kits containing ingredients to take home for each recipe. Mixed methods of quantitative student and parent pre–post surveys, parent feedback surveys, and qualitative focus groups were used to evaluate the intervention. Generalized estimating equations were used for survey data analysis. Qualitative data from parent focus groups were analyzed based on the principles of grounded theory. Both quantitative and qualitative results revealed that intervention students increased familiarity, preferences, and consumption of the featured vegetables and significantly increased their involvement in food preparation at home. Qualitative results showed that children were actively involved in food preparation at home. In addition, the intervention helped parents increase their appreciation for new foods and recipes. The results suggest that promoting locally grown ethnic produce to children is effective in increasing their consumption of a variety of vegetables and their involvement in food preparation at home.

Back to scratch: hands‐on home cooking increases ethnic produce consumption among elementary school students from low‐income ethnically diverse families

ObjectiveTo evaluated the effectiveness of a four month school intervention among K‐2 students.MethodsMixed methods of pre/post‐surveys and focus groups were used to evaluate the intervention. K‐2 students and their parents from four intervention and two control schools participated in the study. A total of 592 intervention students participated in classroom food demonstrations and tasting activities using seven locally grown food recipes primarily featuring Latino and Hmong cultures. Students received a food kit containing ingredients to take home for each recipe. Generalized estimating equations were used for survey data analysis. Data from parent focus groups were analyzed based on the principles of grounded theory.ResultsBoth quantitative and qualitative results revealed that intervention students increased familiarity, preference, and consumption of the featured vegetables, and significantly increased their involvement in food preparation at home. Qualitative results showed that children's involvement in food preparation resulted in an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption. In addition, the intervention helped parents further appreciate local and/or ethnic produce from different cultural groups.ConclusionsPromoting locally grown ethnic produce to K‐2 children is effective in increasing their involvement in food preparation and consuming a variety of vegetables at home.

Social and Physical Environmental Factors and Child Overweight in a Sample of American and Czech School-aged Children: A Pilot Study

Objective To compare environmental factors that influence body mass index for age (BMI-for-age) between a sample of American and Czech school-aged children. Design Pilot study. A parent questionnaire and school visits were used to collect data from parents and children. Setting Public schools in 1 American and 2 Czech cities. Participants Forty-five American and 97 Czech 4 th- through 6 th-graders and their parents. Variables Measured Parenting style, food socialization and preparation practices, healthful food availability, and children's BMI-for-age were measured. Analysis Factors from the parental scales were derived using factor analysis. Independent t tests compared environmental factors between American and Czech families. A regression model was used to identify environmental variables associated with BMI-for-age. Results American parents used authoritative parenting style and positive food socialization practices more often than Czech parents ( P <.001). Availability of healthful food and parental involvement in food preparation were higher ( P <.001) in Czech households. Positive encouraging socialization practices, less frequent use of negative explanations, and a greater availability of vegetables were associated with lower BMI-for-age in the Czech sample of children. Conclusions and Implications A future study should focus on identifying environmental factors that influence children's BMI-for-age with a large sample of Czech and American parents and their school-aged children.

Behavioral Weight Loss Classes for Patients With Severe Mental Illness

Behavioral Weight Loss Classes for Patients With Severe Mental Illness