Occasions, purposes, and contexts for offering snacks to preschool-aged children: Schemas of caregivers with low-income backgrounds

Blake, Christine E.; Davison, Kirsten K.; Blaine, Rachel E.; Fisher, Jennifer O.

doi:10.1016/j.appet.2021.105627

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…These patterns also reflect the transition from frequent milk feeding in infancy to a modified adult eating pattern during toddlerhood involving small meals and snacks [ 10 ]. That young children snack in the morning as well as afternoon may also reflect the commonly held notion that young children need snacks to meet nutritional needs and snacks act as a ‘hold over’ in between meals [ 44 , 51 ]. In contrast, snacking among older children was concentrated in the afterschool period and evening periods and pronounced in the late-night period among adolescents.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age-related differences in eating location, food source location, and timing of snack intake among U.S. children 1–19 years

Tripicchio,

Croce,

Coffman

et al. 2023

Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act

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Background Snacking is nearly universal and contributes significant energy to U.S. children’s diets. Little is known, however, about where and when snacking intake occurs and if such patterns change with age. This research evaluated age-related differences in eating location, food source location, and timing of snacking among U.S. children aged 1–19 years (y). Methods A cross-sectional analysis of snacking among 14,666 children in the 2007–2018 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was conducted using a single 24-hour dietary recall. Snacking was participant-defined and included all eating occasions outside of meals. Linear regression and analysis of covariance were used to examine the effects of age (toddler 1–2 y, preschooler 3–5 y, school-age 6–11 y, adolescent 12–19 y) on the percentage of daily snack energy consumed by eating location (at home vs. away from home), food source location (grocery store, convenience store, school/childcare, restaurant, from someone else (i.e. “socially”), and other), and time of day (morning, 6am-12pm; early afternoon, 12pm-3pm; late afternoon/afterschool 3pm-6pm; evening 6pm-9pm, late-night 9pm-12am, and overnight 12am-6am). Results On average, U.S. children consumed most of their daily snacking energy at home (71%), from foods and beverages obtained from grocery stores (75%), and in the late afternoon/afterschool (31%). Toddlers and preschoolers consumed a greater percentage of their daily snack energy during the morning hours compared to school-age children and adolescents (both p < 0.001); school-age children consumed the most in the evening (27%, p < 0.001), and adolescents consumed the most in the late-night period (22%, p < 0.001). Age-related increases were seen in the percentage of daily snacking energy eaten outside the home (p < 0.001), and obtained socially (p < 0.001), from restaurants (p < 0.001), and convenience stores (p < 0.001). Conclusion Findings reveal age-related differences in eating location, food source location, and timing of snack intake among U.S. children aged 1–19 y. Younger children consume a greater percentage of snacking calories in the morning and at home relative to older children. School-age children and adolescents show greater snacking in the evening and at night and from foods obtained and eaten outside the home. Efforts to promote healthy snacking behaviors among children should consider developmental differences in snacking patterns.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age-related differences in eating location, food source location, and timing of snack intake among U.S. children 1–19 years

Tripicchio,

Croce,

Coffman

et al. 2023

Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act

Self Cite

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“…In particular approx. 40% of the added sugars consumed by American preschoolers come from snacks [9]. According to Danish data, children's consumption of sugar-rich products is also well above the recommendations, and on average every Danish receives 20% of their daily energy from sugar-rich foods and drinks [3].…”

Section: Snacks -Choice and Frequency Of Consumption Among Children A...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Excessive consumption of sugary foods may be due to the affordability, palatability, and convenience of sugary foods [8]. It is important to note that excessive 2 consumption of sugary/salty snacks replaces the consumption of important foods in the diet, such as fruit and vegetables, fermented dairy products, and thus leads to lower intake of key nutrients and lower diet quality [6,9]. On the other hand, insufficient intake of important nutrients by children and adolescents over a long period of time may result in impaired growth and development, as well as many other long-term health consequences [5,7,8,10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consumption of snack foods by children and adolescents and their parents' knowledge about substances added to food

Kolmaga,

Garus-Pakowska

2024

Preprint

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Parents play an important role in shaping the eating habits of their children through: appropriate selection of food products, snacking between meals and appropriate exposure to information from television advertisements, the press or the Internet. The level of parents' knowledge about proper nutrition and substances added to food is therefore crucial in promoting appropriate dietary choices in children and adolescents in order to prevent diet-related diseases. Objectives: Assessment of the consumption of snack foods by children and adolescents according to the surveyed parents and analysis of parents' knowledge about additional substances in food. Methods: The study was conducted among 129 parents of students from selected primary schools. The research tool was an original survey questionnaire consisting of 24 questions. Survey interviews were conducted with parents during meetings at schools. Statistical analysis was performed using the Pearson ch2 test, the significance level was set to p&lt;0.05. Results: Parents most often indicated sweets, confectionery products and sweetened drinks (25%) and vegetables or fruit (21%) as the form of snack for their children. 46% of children and adolescents drank sweetened drinks at least once a day. Parents had an average level of knowledge about food additives. Significant correlations were found between the level of knowledge of parents of school-age children about food additives and their level of education. Parents' knowledge and education did not significantly influence the level of snack consumption by their children. Children's eating behavior should be considered unsatisfactory. Conclusions: Research has shown the need for parents to be educated about food additives and to pay more attention to reading food labels so that they can reliably prepare their children to make the right food choices. Measures should be implemented to improve the eating habits of children and adolescents.

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“…Another study of toddler eating habits in the home environment found that toddlers were more likely to consume fruits and vegetables when not moving around or watching TV and when eating at the table [ 21 ]. In research with preschoolers, snacks that were provided in some contexts (e.g., in social situations) were less nutritious than those offered in routine situations or to address hunger [ 22 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Healthy Snacks and Drinks for Toddlers: A Qualitative Study of Caregivers’ Understanding of Expert Recommendations and Perceived Barriers to Adherence

et al. 2023

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Background. Despite expert recommendations, most toddlers consume sugary drinks and more sweet and salty snack foods than fruits and vegetables as snacks. Studies have examined toddler caregivers’ reasons for providing sugary drinks, but few have examined the reasons for providing nutritionally poor snack foods. Methods. Researchers conducted focus groups in one low-income community to assess caregivers’ familiarity, understanding and attitudes regarding healthy drink and snack recommendations for toddlers. A convenience sample of 24 caregivers of toddlers (12–36 months) participated. Researchers conducted a descriptive analysis of the participants’ familiarity with recommendations and a thematic analysis of the barriers to adherence. Results. Most participants were familiar with recommendations, but many were surprised that some drinks and snack foods are not recommended, and most believed recommendations were not realistic. Common barriers to adhering to recommendations included beliefs about their child’s innate preferences, family modeling and others’ provision of drinks and snacks in and outside the home. Practical barriers included the higher cost and inconvenience of serving fruits and vegetables on-the-go. Conclusion. Similar barriers limited caregivers’ adherence to expert recommendations about healthy snacks and drinks for toddlers. Nutrition education interventions should provide practical strategies for addressing these barriers and enlist childcare and health providers to reinforce recommendations.

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Occasions, purposes, and contexts for offering snacks to preschool-aged children: Schemas of caregivers with low-income backgrounds

Cited by 6 publications

References 25 publications

Age-related differences in eating location, food source location, and timing of snack intake among U.S. children 1–19 years

Age-related differences in eating location, food source location, and timing of snack intake among U.S. children 1–19 years

Consumption of snack foods by children and adolescents and their parents' knowledge about substances added to food

Healthy Snacks and Drinks for Toddlers: A Qualitative Study of Caregivers’ Understanding of Expert Recommendations and Perceived Barriers to Adherence

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