Mothers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often experience chronic stress and are at risk for adverse health. However, little is known about fathers, especially when their child is in early childhood. Parenting stress, eating behavior and physical health was evaluated in mothers (n = 48) and fathers (n = 43) of young children (3-7…

This brief summarizes the published Cochrane Review, "Healthy Eating Interventions Delivered in Early Childhood Education and Care Settings for Improving the Diet of Children Aged Six Months to Six Years," by S. L. Yoong, M. Lum, L. Wolfenden, J. Jackson, C. Barnes, A. E. Hall, S. McCrabb, N. Pearson, C. Lane, J. Z. Jones, E. Nolan, L.…

SuperFIT aims to improve the dietary and physical activity behaviour of children (2-4 years) in the Dutch childcare and home setting. Healthy parenting practices, policies, and availability of materials, fruits, and vegetables were promoted over the course of a year. This pilot study, with a quasi-experimental design, examined the effectiveness of…

Through a community-focused needs assessment conducted in rural Appalachia, we gauged perceptions of facilitators and barriers related to healthful eating and physical activity for young children and identified suggestions for improvement. Thirty-seven key informant interviews and three caregiver focus group sessions were coded and analyzed for…

Overweight and obesity have been reported to be more prevalent in populations with autism spectrum disorder than in children with typical development. The aim of this study was to compare the anthropometric status of children with autism spectrum disorder (diagnosed and subclinical) and children with typical development and analyse which variables…

The prevalence of obese children has tripled during the past three decades. While lack of physical activity and unhealthy eating have been the primary focus of public health efforts, media has a significant influence on food choices and food consumption. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine if a media literacy intervention would…

Background: Obesity affects nearly 17% of US children and youth 2-19?years old and 10% of infants and toddlers under the age of 2?years. One strategy for addressing obesity is to discourage sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption. Compared with their older school-aged counterparts, children =5?years depend largely on parents for the purchase…

This article will discuss how museums may serve as community anchors by catalyzing and helping to sustain significant behavioral and attitudinal changes among the public. When museums integrate research, deep community roots and trust, and a museum and arts-based pedagogy, they are uniquely positioned to effect change. The article will review a…

Early childhood educators currently provide content focused learning opportunities for children in the areas of well-being and environmental education. However, these are usually seen as discrete content areas and educators are challenged with responding to children's interests in popular-culture inspired food products given these influence their…

Childhood overweight and obesity are major problems in the United States, with important consequences for our nation's health and economy. Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day, yet children, adolescents, and adults skip breakfast on a routine basis. This habit of breakfast skipping is related to weight gain, higher body mass…

Objective: Young children living in socioeconomically deprived areas of Scotland have an increased risk of becoming overweight or obese. To enhance understanding of the wider contexts within which family food practices are developed, this study examined the experiences of low-income mothers with young children. Design: Qualitative longitudinal…

Background: Food insecurity may negatively impact children's nutritional status by affecting parenting quality. Because parents have a strong influence on their children's eating and food choices, examining the effects of food insecurity on parenting may provide important insights into obesity prevention efforts. Objectives: This study explored…

Although the prevalence of childhood obesity has not increased in recent years, it remains unacceptably high and warrants continued study. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential relationship between weight status and length of sleep (both daytime and nighttime) among preschool children. Special attention was given to the role…

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the Enabling Mothers to Prevent Pediatric Obesity through Web-Based Education and Reciprocal Determinism (EMPOWER) intervention at 1-year, postintervention follow-up. Method: A mixed between-within subjects design was used to evaluate the trial. Independent variables included a…

Objective: To evaluate associations between children's and their mothers' fruit and vegetable (FV) intake and children's FV intake and weight status. Methods: Mothers (n = 39) residing in Philadelphia, PA completed a subsection of the Diet History Questionnaire assessing their FV intake. Mothers also completed this questionnaire to estimate FV…