The FNS Research Corner provides a continuing series to summarize recently completed and current research conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in the area of child nutrition. Summaries of recently completed research projects and in-progress research are provided in this article.

This study examined the effects of offering Head Start to preschoolers. Head Start is a federal program aimed at boosting the school readiness of low-income children by providing preschool education and health and nutrition services. The study analyzed data on about 4,700 preschool-aged children who applied for enrollment for the 2002-03 program…

Objective: Evaluate the effectiveness of the "Fruit, Vegetable, and Physical Activity Toolbox for Community Educators" ("Toolbox"), an intervention originally designed for Spanish- and English-speaking audiences, in changing knowledge, attitudes, and behavior among low-income African American women. Design: Quasi-experimental…

We examine the effect of the School Breakfast Program (SBP) availability with the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey III. Our work builds on previous research by developing a transparent difference-in-differences strategy to account for unobserved differences between students with access to SBP and those without, using serum…

Context: Multiple national agencies and organizations recommend that women age 40 years and older have an annual screening mammogram. Women who are poor, less educated, lack a usual source of care, and reside in rural Appalachia are less likely to have had a recent mammogram. Purpose: To increase use of mammography among a rural Appalachian…

Comments on the debate between Rush and Kotelchuck and colleagues, regarding the effects of WIC participation on pregnancy outcomes. Points out the dilemma posed by the need to justify maternal and child health programs by pointing to quantifiable gains, rather than by the advocacy of such programs as a social responsibility. (GC)

Noting that the School Breakfast Program provides breakfast to millions of low-income children who otherwise might go hungry in the morning and be less ready to learn, this report is the tenth from the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) to report how well the program is reaching children in need. Data were obtained from state reports to the…

The School Breakfast Program provides breakfast to millions of children from low-income families who otherwise might go hungry in the morning and be less ready to learn. This report is the eleventh from the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) to examine the program, its benefits, and the performance of the nation and of each state in reaching…

The School Breakfast Program provides breakfast to millions of children from low-income families who otherwise might go hungry in the morning and be less ready to learn. This report is the thirteenth from the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) to examine the program, its benefits, and the performance of the nation and of each state in reaching…

Findings from a qualitative evaluation of the Coordinated Consumer Health Education Project in rural Eastern Kentucky are presented. The purpose of the project is to provide health education for pregnant and lactating women and their infants up to one year of age through a coordinated effort with other health care providers. The evaluation…

The report provides Indian and Migrant Program Division managers and specialists in each of the 5 Head Start component areas with a comprehensive picture of the 43 home base learning centers operating between October 1978 and May 1979, with a total enrollment of 3,108 migrant children. Using data collected from the Head Start and center directors,…

The Child Health and Development Project (CHDP), a home-based early intervention program operated in six East Tennessee counties, provides well-child clinics, developmental evaluation, individualized early childhood education for disadvantaged children, and training in parenting skills for their parents. The University of Tennessee's Bureau of…

This paper describes an evaluation of the Child Health and Development Project (CHDP), a home-based early intervention program designed to promote parenting skills and to foster the physical, social, and intellectual development of children from birth through 6 years. The project served families from six counties in East Tennessee through funding…

The standards presented in this handbook are intended to serve as guidelines for the self-assessment of publicly funded preschool group day care centers. Each standard is accompanied by one or more indicators which suggest concrete ways in which that standard can be met. The handbook is divided into five sections. The standards in the first…

This document defines federal interagency requirements which day care programs must meet if they are receiving funds under any of the following programs: Title IV (parts A and B) of the Social Security Act; Title I, Title II, Title III (Part B), and Title V (Part B) of the Economic Opportunity Act; the Manpower Development and Training Act; and…