Healthy Eating Program for Preschoolers
This study is testing a program to help preschool children develop healthy eating habits and reduce their risk of obesity. It involves a Healthy Eating Curriculum, improving the classroom food environment with sensory activities, parent education through web-based lessons, and training for early childhood educators. The goal is to see if these interventions can improve children's willingness to try new foods, their understanding of food, and their food choices. The study is looking for 770 children between 3 and 6 years old who are enrolled in participating preschool centers in Pennsylvania. Success will be measured by changes in children's food acceptance, willingness to try new foods, and food literacy after about 6 months.
- Study design
- This interventional study plans to enroll 770 participants aged 3 to 6 years. It compares children who receive a healthy eating curriculum and parent education with those who only receive a nutrition education program.
- What's involved
- Children will participate in food literacy lessons and potentially additional healthy eating lessons. Parents may access 8 web-based lessons, and educators will complete an online course.
- Compensation
- Not stated in the trial record.
- Follow-up
- Children's food acceptance, willingness to try new foods, and food literacy will be measured at approximately 6 months after the intervention begins.
AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.
Increasing Food Literacy in Preschoolers to Reduce Obesity Risk
At a glance
Conditions
Where it's being run
1 sites across 1 statesStudy leadership
- Lori A Francis, Ph.D. · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Penn State University; Professor
Who to contact
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Do you actually qualify for this trial?
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Inclusion
Exclusion
What this trial measures
- Children's Food AcceptanceChange from baseline to post-intervention (~6 months)
Teachers reports of each child's willingness to try and liking of weekly target foods; lab-created measure. Scores for trying (yes/no) and liking (yes/no) are summed to create total scores for each. Scores range from 0 to 26 for trying and liking. Higher scores indicate a higher frequency of trying weekly foods and higher frequency of liking seeking foods.
- Children's willingness to try novel foodsChange from baseline to post-intervention (~6 months)
Observed measure of children's willingness to try 4 novel foods (The Tasting Game; lab-created measure). The child scores 1 point for each bite of food that is tasted or eaten. Scores for each range from 0 (none tasted/eaten) to 3 (all pieces tasted/eaten). Total scores range from 0 to 12, and are created by summing the points obtained for each food item. Higher scores indicate a greater willingness to try foods.
- Children's Food LiteracyChange from baseline to post-intervention (~6 months)
Observed measure of children's ability to name/identify 6 foods using pictures (Food Literacy Scale; lab-created measure). Children receive a score of 0 (incorrect/don't know), 1 (correctly identified on the second pass), or 2 (correctly named on the first pass) points. Total scores range from 0 to 12, and are created by summing the points obtained for each food item. Higher scores indicate higher food literacy or ability to identify foods.
- Children's Food KnowledgeChange from baseline to post-intervention (~6 months)
Observed measure of children's ability to differentiate between nutrient- and energy-dense foods using the Snack Selection Protocol (Sigma-Grant et al., 2014). Children receive 1 point for each nutrient-dense food item chosen. Scores range from 0-18, with higher scores indicating nutrient-dense foods being chosen more often energy-dense foods.
- Children's Food ChoicesChange from baseline to post-intervention (~6 months)
Observed measure of children's food choices when given the option to choose a nutrient- vs. energy-dense snack (live-coded; lab-created measure). Children receive a score of either 0 (energy-dense food chosen) or 1 (nutrient-dense food chosen).