Food-Based Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) Learning Activities May Reduce Decline in Preschoolers' Skin Carotenoid Status.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of food-based science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) learning activities on preschoolers' liking of 9 target vegetables and objectively-assessed fruit and vegetable (FV) intake. METHODS: Seven hands-on, food-based STEAM learning activities were implemented to expose children to 9 target vegetables in 3 Head Start preschools (11 classrooms) across North Carolina. Child-reported vegetable liking scores and skin carotenoid status (SCS) were dependent variables collected at baseline, midpoint, and posttest. Adjusted repeated-measures ANOVA was used to examine intervention impact. RESULTS: A total of 113 children (intervention = 49; comparison = 64) participated. Children were an average age of 3.7 ± 0.57 years at baseline. Mean target vegetable liking scores for the intervention and comparison groups, respectively, were 3.2 ± 0.19 and 3.2 ± 0.17 at baseline, 2.9 ± 0.17 and 3.1 ± 0.15 at midpoint, and 2.8 ± 0.15 and 3.1 ± 0.13 at posttest. A time × group interaction was not significant for target vegetable liking scores. Mean SCS were 268.6 ± 13.24 and 270.9 ± 12.13 at baseline, 271.3 ± 12.50 and 275.6 ± 11.46 at midpoint, and 267.8 ± 11.26 and 229.6 ± 10.32 at posttest for the intervention and comparison groups, respectively. A time × group interaction was significant for SCS (F1,77 = 3.98; P = 0.02; r = 0.10). Both groups declined from baseline to posttest (intervention = 0.06%; comparison = 15.09%), which occurred after winter break, with a smaller decline observed in the intervention group (P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Food-based STEAM learning activities may present a unique opportunity to affect FV intake while meeting academic standards. More research is needed to understand how liking for familiar FV changes over time and its relationship with consumption. In addition, more implementation research featuring larger sample sizes, teachers as the interventionist, and a longer study duration is needed to confirm the outcomes of food-based STEAM learning observed in the current study and the long-term impact this approach may have on children's' dietary quality.

Skin Carotenoid Status Over Time and Differences by Age and Sex Among Head Start Children (3-5 Years).

OBJECTIVE: Examine differences in skin carotenoid status (SCS) based on time, age, and sex of preschool-aged children enrolled in Head Start (HS) in North Carolina. DESIGN: Data were collected using surveys from participating families. preschool-aged children's SCS were measured 3 times over a 6-month period. SETTING: Three HS centers in North Carolina. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred twelve children aged 3-5 years, enrolled in HS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Differences in SCS assessed using the Veggie Meter (Longevity Link, Salt Lake City, UT) based on time, sex, and age. ANALYSIS: One-way ANOVA to assess SCS at time 1 between sex and age (n = 112). Repeated measures ANOVA with a Greenhouse-Geisser correction for assessment of SCS over time (n = 45) using Bonferroni correction. RESULTS: On average, children were aged 4 years, African American (81.3%), male (57%), and had a mean SCS of 266 (SD = 82.9). Skin carotenoid status (Veggie Meter units) were significantly different over time (P < 0.001). Significant differences were observed between ages (P = 0.01) and sex (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The Veggie Meter is a promising tool to assess fruit and vegetable intake but needs to be validated in preschool-aged children as it has been in adults. Sex and age are potential confounders which should be assessed in future studies using the Veggie Meter.

Eastern North Carolina Head Start Teachers' personal and professional experiences with healthy eating and physical activity: a qualitative exploration.

OBJECTIVE: Explore the interrelationship between teachers' personal and professional socio-ecological structures while examining Head Start (HS) teachers' experiences with (1) trying to eat healthy and engage in physical activity (PA) and (2) promote healthy eating and PA in their classrooms. DESIGN: In-depth semi-structured interviews were collected from March through June 2017. Researchers designed the data collection and analysis methods using a phenomenological approach. All interviews were recorded using digital audio and transcribed verbatim. SETTING: Seven HS centres in two rural eastern North Carolina counties. PARTICIPANTS: Teachers (n 15) who had recently participated in a healthy eating and physical activity intervention. Participants were 100 % female, an average age of 43 years (sd 9·6) and primarily Black/African American (93·3 %). RESULTS: Eighteen primary themes were identified providing unique insight into individual, social and environmental determinants that may influence teachers' personal health behaviours and professional health promotion practices. Findings indicated that teachers want to improve health behaviours personally (individual/family health) and professionally (children/families served); however, barriers exist at all levels impacting their ability to improve their own health and facilitate positive behaviours among the children/families they serve. Many teachers observed connections between their personal and professional experiences, but not beyond the individual level. CONCLUSIONS: Study findings highlight the importance of considering and emphasising the potential relationship between personal and professional determinants of health when working with early childhood teachers. Findings from this study may be useful for informing the development, implementation and evaluation of future health promotion interventions using teachers as implementers.