title: Family child care providers' self-perceived role in obesity prevention: working with children, parents, and external influences.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the perspective and strategies of family child care providers (FCCPs) to reduce children's suboptimal weight trajectories.
  
  
  METHODS
  In-person, in-depth interviews with FCCPs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Family child care homes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen FCCPs caring for children 6 weeks to 9 years old; 94% caring for children paying with a state subsidy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Strategies of FCCP to reduce children's suboptimal weight trajectories.
  
  
  METHODS
  Constant comparative method of qualitative data analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Family child care providers described 3 core strategies: (1) improving children's behavior, (2) engaging and educating parents, and (3) leveraging influences external to their relationship with parents to effect positive change and to avoid parental conflict. These strategies were framed within their knowledge of child development, parental communication, and community services.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that FCCPs' role in obesity prevention may be framed within knowledge that may be commonly expected of a child care provider. Partnerships between public health policy makers and FCCP may reduce obesigenic environments by employing training and resources that link obesity prevention and child care provider expertise.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Yale University, New Haven, CT; Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT. Electronic address: Marjorie.rosenthal@yale.edu.
authors.forename: Marjorie S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
authors.forename: Angela A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Crowley
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Curry
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002654:Child Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D062407:Meals; D008875:Middle Aged; D009753:Nutritive Value; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D036301:Qualitative Research
keywords: health education; nursery schools; obesity; preschool child; qualitative research