Tough Love or Laissez-Faire? Exploring the Feeding Styles of Urban Preschool Teachers and Associations with Nutrition-Focused Professional Development

Cooper, Christen Cupples

doi:10.1007/s10643-020-01097-7

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…This theory was originally adopted from Darling and Steinberg's (1993) parenting style framework. It has been used in the nutrition education literature to describe both caregivers in the home and in childcare environments (Hughes, 2008;Cooper, 2020). The categories that emerged from our data mirrored aspects of the feeding style framework in that parents who were limiters responded to our questions with answers indicative of high demandingness (i.e., expectations for healthful eating) and high responsiveness, emblematic of the "authoritative" feeding style.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Understanding Attitudes and Practices of Low-Income Caregivers Toward Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption in Preschool-Aged Children

Cooper

Northrup²,

Iannacchino³

2023

MRAJ

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Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption during early childhood has been linked to adverse health outcomes across the lifespan. Caregivers of young children are often unaware of the potential health harms of SSB and may lack knowledge, skills and environmental supports to limit SSB. The objectives of this study were to determine study caregivers’ attitudes and practices with regard to SSB and to identify themes that may inform future policies and interventions to limit these beverages. Guided by the Social Ecological Model (SEM), the research team interviewed low-income caregivers of children ages two to five at a health clinic in urban New York State. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded for themes and further analyzed for determinants of behavior with regard to providing SSB. Five major themes emerged: Greater SSB knowledge led to healthier choices; confusion about the healthfulness of some SSB; SSB affordability, accessibility and cultural acceptability; children’s “pester power” to obtain SSBs; and, lack of SSB information from healthcare providers. Determinants such as perceived barriers to action, self-efficacy, cues to action, and perceived threat emerged from the themes. SSB are widely available, affordable and palatable. Healthcare providers seldom discuss children’s SSB intake specifically at well visits. SSB are frequently marketed and labeled as “healthy.” SSB are a significant source of empty calories and added sugars. Helping parents limit SSBs may reduce child overweight and obesity and minimize lifelong chronic disease risks. Heathcare providers, health campaigns and nutrition assistance programs may collaborate to help parents limit SSB intake in young children.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Understanding Attitudes and Practices of Low-Income Caregivers Toward Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption in Preschool-Aged Children

Cooper

Northrup²,

Iannacchino³

2023

MRAJ

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“…Research has called for more teacher professional development related to school meals and feeding strategies [ 25 , 26 , 27 ]. Research has also shown professional development to be beneficial in improving students eating habits in pre-school children [ 28 , 29 , 30 ]. With professional development focused on motivating teachers, facilitating action and improving environmental supports, teachers could be successful at improving students’ focus, behavior, academic performance and health [ 31 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Teachers’ Resources to Support School Lunch: Professional Development Is Warranted

et al. 2022

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In the United States, many children who come from low-income backgrounds and experience food insecurity do not take and eat school lunch, despite it being a nutritious meal. Teachers could play a role in encouraging students’ consumption of school lunch; however, teachers in America are traditionally uninvolved in the lunch period. The purpose of this research was to understand the resources kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12) teachers need to encourage students to take and eat school lunch. Two data collection workshops and semi-structured follow-up interviews were conducted with K-12 teachers. The workshops and interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for salient themes. Ten teachers participated in the workshops and six teachers participated in the follow-up interviews. In general, teachers believe school meals are essential for students’ focus and behavior in the classroom. However, to encourage students to take and eat school lunch, teachers need support and resources. From the workshops and interviews, three themes emerged: (1) improvements in the food quality; (2) school community support; and (3) professional development. The data suggests professional development is the greatest resource teachers need, as professional development can enhance teachers’ motivation to advocate for better food quality and engage school community support. Greater teacher involvement in school lunch could lay the groundwork for future healthier generations.

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“…Teacher's varying levels of demandingness and responsiveness lay a foundation for a child's current and future relationships with food, and it is suggested that the approach should vary in preschool versus home environment. Teachers who are authoritative during mealtimes develop children who are more eager and willing to eat new foods, as opposed to teachers who are indulgent, uninvolved, or authoritarian [15]. This suggests that teachers' knowledge and approach to feeding children can play a pivotal role in the development of food behaviors for children.…”

Section: Teacher Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Teachers’ Perceptions of Integrating Tower Gardens into Pre-K4 Curriculum

Sills,

Stapp,

Lambert

et al. 2024

Recent Prog Nutr

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Schools play an integral role in providing opportunities for children of all ages to be exposed to nutrition education. There are a variety of ways children can receive nutrition education in the school setting, such as explicit lessons, modeled dialogue, and exposure to nutrition-based principles. However, there continues to be a disconnect between teacher perceptions of nutrition education and time spent implementing it in the classroom. Nutrition education can come in many forms, including hands-on gardening and explicit discussions on the impact of food choices on overall health. Effective nutrition education in any form elicits numerous benefits for children, but there are a multitude of barriers that inhibit teachers from implementing hands-on gardening into their classrooms—such as time, space, and teacher self-efficacy. Tower Gardens,<sup> </sup>otherwise known as hydro- and aeroponic, vertical gardening systems, offer an alternative to the space and time required for traditional gardening. Nonetheless, the body of literature surrounding the impact and feasibility of implementing tower gardening systems is limited, specifically in the preschool setting. Therefore, this study explored teachers’ perceptions of and experiences with implementing Tower Gardens into pre-kindergarten 4-year-old (pre-K4) classrooms. A qualitative approach was employed wherein a focus group was conducted with pre-K-4 teachers who integrated Tower Gardens through the <em>Growing Healthy Minds, Bodies, and Communities</em> Curriculum. Findings were analyzed and four themes emerged as follows: (a) novelty of Tower Gardens increases opportunities to learn; (b) a multitude of interactions with growing and food; (c) increased engagement from children; and (d) implementation and positive outcomes for teachers. These findings suggest that Tower Gardens can be implemented with relative ease in the classroom and produce positive outcomes for student engagement and interactions with foods.

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Tough Love or Laissez-Faire? Exploring the Feeding Styles of Urban Preschool Teachers and Associations with Nutrition-Focused Professional Development

Cited by 4 publications

References 24 publications

Understanding Attitudes and Practices of Low-Income Caregivers Toward Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption in Preschool-Aged Children

Understanding Attitudes and Practices of Low-Income Caregivers Toward Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption in Preschool-Aged Children

Teachers’ Resources to Support School Lunch: Professional Development Is Warranted

Teachers’ Perceptions of Integrating Tower Gardens into Pre-K4 Curriculum

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