Improving Willingness to Try Fruits and Vegetables and Gross Motor Skills in Preschool Children in Guam

Abstract

Early childhood interventions have the potential to promote long-term healthy eating and physical activity habits to prevent obesity. However, research studies including indigenous young children are lacking. This study examined the effectiveness of the Food Friends®: Fun with New Foods™ and Get Movin’ with Mighty Moves™ (FFMM) curricula on willingness to try fruits and vegetables (FV) and gross motor (GM) skills among preschoolers in Guam. A pre-post community-based study included preschoolers from Head Start (HS), gifted and talented education (Pre-GATE), and Pre-Kindergarten programs during school years (SY) 2017–2018 and 2018–2019. In SY2017–2018, the intervention group had a significant increase in imported FV when compared with the other three groups. No significant differences between groups were found on the other FV scales. Regarding gross motor skills, no significant differences between groups were found. In SY2018–2019, the intervention group had a significant increase in all FV scales except imported FV when compared with the enhanced intervention group. With gross motor skills, no significant differences were found between groups on its progress. These results warrant FFMM adaptations for the prevention of obesity among Guam preschoolers.

Quality assessment of menus provided in selected nurseries in the Silesian Province

“…Zbyt niskie spożywanie warzyw i owoców może doprowadzić do nieprawidłowego funkcjonowania organizmu, wystąpienia licznych niedoborów pokarmowych. Natomiast spożywanie warzyw i owoców w odpowiedniej ilości związane jest z mniejszym ryzykiem wystąpienia chorób układu nerwowego, układu pokarmowego oraz sercowo-naczyniowego [21,22]. Rozporządzenie rekomenduje, aby placówki przedszkolne uwzględniały w jadłospisie owoce i warzywa w każdym posiłku, a codzienne ich spożycie powinno wynosić łącznie 5 porcji [6].…”