scholarly journals Implementation of Parental Strategies to Improve Child Vegetable Intake: Barriers and Facilitators

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 2333794X1985529
Author(s):  
Lauren Millen ◽  
Francine Overcash ◽  
Zata Vickers ◽  
Marla Reicks

Purpose. To qualitatively assess barriers and facilitators to implementing specific behavioral strategies to increase child vegetable intake during home dinner meals by low-income parents. Method. Parents (n = 49) of children (9-12 years) were asked to implement 1 behavioral strategy following each of 6 weekly cooking classes at community centers. Example strategies included serving vegetables first, serving 2 vegetables, and using a bigger spoon to serve vegetables. The following week, parents discussed how they used the strategy and barriers and facilitators to its use. Discussions were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded separately by strategy using NVivo Pro 11 software. Inductive, comparative thematic analyses were used to identify themes by strategy. Results. Most participants were multiethnic women aged 30 to 39 years with low food security. Time and scheduling conflicts limited involvement of children in vegetable preparation (Child Help strategy). The type of foods served and an unfamiliar serving style inhibited use of the MyPlate and Available/Visible strategies, respectively. Children’s dislike of vegetables limited use of the Serve Vegetables First and Serve 2 Vegetables strategies. Ease of use promoted use of the Bigger Spoon strategy. Conclusion. Educators could tailor application of specific parent strategies for low-income families based on child and environmental characteristics.

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Samantha B Meyer

Research attributes low fruit and vegetable consumption to problems of access, availability and affordability. We conducted, for the first time, a case study with three families designed and analysed using the sustainable Livelihoods Framework. The benefit of such an approach is that we moved away from identified barriers and towards identifying the capabilities and resources low-income families use to incorporate fruit and vegetables into their diets. Mitigating cost and access, we provided families with a box of fresh fruit and vegetables free of charge for up to 10 weeks and observed and recorded how/if the contents were used. Results identify the importance of social networking, organizational skills, knowledge of health benefits, and social structures. This paper demonstrates an effective methodology for understanding the capabilities of, rather than barriers to, low-income families increasing fruit and vegetable intake. Additionally, we provide a ‘how to’ and ‘lessons from the field’ for researchers interested in conducting research of this nature.


Author(s):  
Mary Louise Gomez

This text explores how service learning may offer aspiring teachers’ (those not yet admitted to teacher education programs) opportunities to interact with and support the learning of children from low-income families of color. The article shows the potential of service to impact how aspiring teachers talk and think and what they can do in community centers serving children living in challenging circumstances. It also critiques their understandings of who they are with regard to race, social class, and language background when conducting service learning. Implications for teachers and teacher educators’ practices when mentoring university students conducting service in communities of which they are not a part are offered.


2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (7) ◽  
pp. S54-S55
Author(s):  
Lauren Millen ◽  
Zata Vickers ◽  
Francine Overcash ◽  
Allison Ritter ◽  
Gloria Wolf ◽  
...  

Foods ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. 116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francine Overcash ◽  
Marla Reicks ◽  
Allison Ritter ◽  
Tashara Leak ◽  
Alison Swenson ◽  
...  

Child vegetable intake falls far below the minimum recommended levels. Knowing which vegetables children may like help those responsible for providing vegetables to children to improve intake. The objective of this study was to measure vegetable liking for a wide variety of vegetables by a racially and ethnically diverse population of 9–12-year old children from low-income families. Children rated their liking of 35 vegetables using a 10-point hedonic scale. We tabulated the number of children that found each vegetable acceptable (ratings of ‘okay’ or above) and the number that found each vegetable unacceptable (ratings below ‘okay’). More than 50% of children who had tried a vegetable considered it acceptable. A large majority of the vegetables had mean ratings in the acceptable range. Corn was the most liked vegetable, closely followed by potatoes, lettuce, and carrots. Artichoke had the lowest mean liking, followed by onion and beets. We found children liked a wide variety of vegetables which offers counter evidence to the commonly held perception that children do not like vegetables.


2014 ◽  
Vol 84 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 244-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Karp ◽  
Gary Wong ◽  
Marguerite Orsi

Abstract. Introduction: Foods dense in micronutrients are generally more expensive than those with higher energy content. These cost-differentials may put low-income families at risk of diminished micronutrient intake. Objectives: We sought to determine differences in the cost for iron, folate, and choline in foods available for purchase in a low-income community when assessed for energy content and serving size. Methods: Sixty-nine foods listed in the menu plans provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for low-income families were considered, in 10 domains. The cost and micronutrient content for-energy and per-serving of these foods were determined for the three micronutrients. Exact Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for comparisons of energy costs; Spearman rho tests for comparisons of micronutrient content. Ninety families were interviewed in a pediatric clinic to assess the impact of food cost on food selection. Results: Significant differences between domains were shown for energy density with both cost-for-energy (p < 0.001) and cost-per-serving (p < 0.05) comparisons. All three micronutrient contents were significantly correlated with cost-for-energy (p < 0.01). Both iron and choline contents were significantly correlated with cost-per-serving (p < 0.05). Of the 90 families, 38 (42 %) worried about food costs; 40 (44 %) had chosen foods of high caloric density in response to that fear, and 29 of 40 families experiencing both worry and making such food selection. Conclusion: Adjustments to USDA meal plans using cost-for-energy analysis showed differentials for both energy and micronutrients. These differentials were reduced using cost-per-serving analysis, but were not eliminated. A substantial proportion of low-income families are vulnerable to micronutrient deficiencies.


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