title: A digital program informs low-income caregivers of preschool-age children about family meals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the digital program, Mealtime is Family Time, as a means of educating caregivers of preschoolers on the importance of family meals within the division of feeding responsibility framework.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive design using 2 approaches: focus group program review and discussion or self-report survey after independent program review in low-income venues. All participants completed an inventory of child feeding practices.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About 75% of feedback survey respondents (n = 147) found the program understandable, easy to read, and helpful and expressed interest in child cues of hunger and satiety. Focus group findings corroborated program utility and were congruent with need for division of feeding responsibility implementation. For example, 39% of respondents reported that children must always or often taste mealtime food.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Education about family meals and child feeding is critical; Mealtime is Family Time was well received by this low-income audience. Further development to measure practice of the division of feeding responsibility is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA. lohseb@psu.edu
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lohse
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rifkin
authors.forename: Kristen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Least
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000379:methods*; D005190:Family; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000193:education; D011203:Poverty