Food insecurity in school-aged children

Food insecurity in the United Kingdom has been described as a 'public health emergency' which has been exacerbated by the onset and continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on research evidence and a reflective account from a current primary school teacher, this chapter highlights the multifaceted impacts of food insecurity for children in schools. It also draws attention to some important considerations around food, education and food-related interventions for practitioners supporting children in schools. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Food insecurity in school-aged children

Food insecurity in the United Kingdom has been described as a 'public health emergency' which has been exacerbated by the onset and continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on research evidence and a reflective account from a current primary school teacher, this chapter highlights the multifaceted impacts of food insecurity for children in schools. It also draws attention to some important considerations around food, education and food-related interventions for practitioners supporting children in schools. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Developmental Evaluation of the CHOICE+ Champion Training Program

Context: Mealtimes in residential care homes are important for social engagement and can encourage resident relationships. Yet, training programs to improve mealtime care practices in residential care settings remain limited in learning approaches and scope. Objectives: To determine whether a one-day Champion Training session would improve participants’ knowledge, skills, and confidence to implement a relationship-centred mealtime program (CHOICE+) in their homes. Methods: The study employed a pre-/post-test design to evaluate a train-the-trainer model using paper-based questionnaires. Thirty-four participants attended the training session;25 participants completed pre/post training questionnaires based on Kirkpatrick’s evaluation model. Training included: 1) program implementation manual, 2) best-practices document, 3) educational resources and evaluation tools, 4) presentation on theory-based implementation strategies and behaviour change techniques, and 5) group discussion on applying strategies and techniques, problem-solving for implementation facilitators and bar-riers. Findings: More than half of attendees worked as Food Service Managers or Registered Dietitians. Participants identified several organizational factors that could impact their home’s readiness to implement CHOICE+, though they felt training to be acceptable and feasible for their homes. Participants reported increase in knowledge (8.4 ± 1.1), confidence (8.3 ± 1.4), and commitment (8.8 ± 1.4) to implement the relationship-centred mealtime program. There was no association with pre-training readiness, leadership, or home characteristics. Limitations: Generalizability is limited due to small sample size. Follow-up interviews on results of training could not be conducted due COVID-19 pandemic research restrictions. Implications: Champion Leader training is an effective and feasible learning approach to up-skill staff on change management and relationship-centred mealtime practices in residential care. © 2021 The Author(s).

Mealtime best practices and infection control in early care and education centres during COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Most young children in the United States attend early care and education (ECE) programmes, where they consume the majority of daily calories. Best practices to support children's healthy eating include teachers sitting together with children, eating the same food, and appropriately supporting children in serving and feeding themselves. To understand how the COVID-19 pandemic changed mealtime practices in ECE, this study (1) describes what adaptations ECE directors and teachers made to mealtimes to include best practices, and (2) identifies common adaptations made to comply with COVID-19 infection control guidelines. METHODS: This cross-sectional, mixed-methods study utilized survey and interview questions based on the trust model and social cognitive theory. More than 7000 surveys were distributed to ECE directors and teachers in Florida. Surveys were completed by 759 directors and 431 teachers. Also, 29 follow-up interviews with teachers were completed. Participants were asked to describe their mealtimes before and during COVID-19. Descriptive statistics and frequencies were used to analyse survey data, and thematic analysis was applied to interview data. RESULTS: Less than 5% of survey respondents reported children serving themselves, a pre-COVID best practice. Interviews identified three common adaptations: (1) modification-best practices were incorporated into new routines, such as eating together but sitting farther away, (2) elimination-routines changed so that best practices were no longer possible, such as teachers wearing masks and standing during meals, and (3) minimal change-minimal changes due to COVID-19 occurred and consequently mealtime practices did not change. CONCLUSIONS: Current recommendations do not allow children to self-serve, which previously was a key best practice. ECE centres that have successfully integrated COVID-19 modifications and maintained mealtime best practices-perhaps in a new form-can serve as examples for others. These findings are generalizable to ECE centres in Florida and could be compared with other states.

Family Food Environment during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic, with its cyclical lockdown restrictions and school closures, has influenced family life. The home, work, and school environments have collided and merged to form a new normal for many families. This merging extends into the family food environment, and little is known about how families are currently navigating this landscape. The objective of the present study was to describe families' adaptations in the family food environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Parents participated in one of 14 virtual focus groups (conducted in English and Spanish between December 2020 and February 2021). Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze the transcripts. RESULTS: Forty-eight parents (81% Hispanic and SES diverse) participated. Five themes and one subtheme were identified around changes in eating habits and mealtime frequency, increases in snacking, family connectedness at mealtimes, and use of screens at meals. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the family food environment. Families shared how their eating habits have changed and that device usage increased at mealtimes. Some changes (e.g., weight gain) may have lasting health implications for both children and parents. Public health officials, pediatricians, and schools should work with families to resume healthy habits post pandemic.