Parent Provision of Choice Is a Key Component of Autonomy Support in Predicting Child Executive Function Skills.

Although previous work has linked parent autonomy support to the development of children's executive function (EF) skills, the role of specific autonomy-supportive behaviors has not been thoroughly investigated. We compiled data from four preschool-age samples in the Midwestern United States (N = 366; M age = 44.26 months; 72% non-Hispanic White, 19% Black/African American, 5% Multiracial) to examine three relevant autonomy-supportive behaviors (supporting competence, positive verbalizations, and offering choice) and their associations with child EF. We coded parent autonomy-supportive behaviors from a 10-min interaction between parent and child dyads working on challenging jigsaw puzzles together. Children completed a battery of EF. Overall, child EF was most consistently correlated with the offering choice subscale. Additionally, only the offering choice subscale predicted child EF while controlling for the other autonomy support subscales and child age. These results suggest that parent provision of choice is an especially relevant aspect of autonomy-supportive parenting and may be important to the development of EF in early childhood. Future research should directly measure children's experience with choice and how it relates to emerging EF.

CHAMP: A cluster randomized-control trial to prevent obesity in child care centers.

Foundational elements of lifelong health are formed during the preschool years. Child care attendance has nearly doubled in the past 5 years making child care centers an ideal setting to establish healthy habits that prevent pediatric obesity. Despite the promising evidence of efficacy of child care-based obesity prevention interventions, limited attention has been directed to criteria needed for implementation at scale. There is potential to improve children's dietary and physical activity behaviors in diverse communities through theory-based, culturally appropriate, manualized interventions, delivered by child care staff. CHAMP (Creating Healthy Habits Among Maryland Preschoolers) is a 3-arm cluster randomized controlled childhood obesity prevention trial, aiming to improve motor skills, physical activity and willingness to try new foods among 864 preschoolers (age 3-5 years) enrolled in 54 child care centers in 10 Maryland counties. CHAMP is informed by social-cognitive and bioecological theories and based on an evidence-based program, The Food Friends®. The two intervention arms include: 1) child care-center based lessons (18-week gross motor and 12-week nutrition) administered by trained child care staff, and 2) a web-based intervention for caregivers in addition to center-based lessons. Evaluations are conducted among children, caregivers, and child care staff at fall enrollment, midline, and spring, following intervention completion. Analyses include linear mixed-models, accounting for clustering and repeated measures, incorporating center-arms as moderators. CHAMP will provide evidence-based information to inform wellness guidelines and policies that can be disseminated broadly, to ensure that child care centers provide opportunities for children to develop healthy eating, and physical activity habits. Trial Registration: NCT03111264; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03111264.