Kids Cafe: Impact of a national feeding program on children's dietary behaviors

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Obesity, a serious public health problem for 34% of adults and 17% of youth in the United States, increases risk for some forms of cancer. Obesity and cancer rates are higher among individuals with limited income than those with higher incomes. In fact, obesity contributes to 14-20% of all cancer-related mortality in the US. Because youth obesity tends to continue throughout life, efforts to maintain energy balance should begin in childhood. The increasing prevalence of obesity in youth may increase future incidence of cancer. Healthy eating habits alone, with an overall dietary pattern that emphasizes plant foods (fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and beans) and maintains healthy weight, could reduce cancer mortality by as much as 30%. Thus, to reduce obesity and cancer rates, innovative intervention strategies are needed that target children and their dietary environments? Kids Cafi Program (KCP) is a national program that provides snacks and nutrition education for low-income children, but its effectiveness has not been evaluated. This R03 application will assess the impact of the KCP on children's dietary behaviors and nutrition knowledge. This part of the research will be carried out in Phase I of the study. In Phase II, the family intervention for KCP will be developed. A small pilot study will be conducted to provide information on feasibility, process and intervention outcomes, including changes in dietary behavior, and mediating variables to inform sample size calculations for a subsequent R01 application. This study will be a unique contribution to the body of knowledge regarding the potential for the KCP to improve dietary behaviors to prevent obesity and reduce cancer risk. Findings will lead to studies targeting this important channel to reach low-income families with health-promoting interventions.