title: Impact of a nutrition award scheme on the food and nutrient intakes of 2- to 4-year-olds attending long day care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Early childhood settings are promising avenues to intervene to improve children's nutrition. Previous research has shown that a nutrition award scheme, Start Right - Eat Right (SRER), improves long day care centre policies, menus and eating environments. Whether this translates into improvements in children's dietary intake is unknown. The present study aimed to determine whether SRER improves children's food and nutrient intakes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pre-post cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty long day care centres in metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children aged 2-4 years (n 236 at baseline, n 232 at follow-up).
  
  
  METHODS
  Dietary intake (morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea) was assessed pre- and post-SRER implementation using the plate wastage method. Centre nutrition policies, menus and environments were evaluated as measures of intervention fidelity. Comparisons between baseline and follow-up were made using t tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At follow-up, 80 % of centres were fully compliant with the SRER award criteria, indicating high scheme implementation and adoption. Intake increased for all core food groups (range: 0·2-0·4 servings/d, P<0·001) except for vegetable intake. Energy intake increased and improvements in intakes of eleven out of the nineteen nutrients evaluated were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SRER is effective in improving children's food and nutrient intakes at a critical time point when dietary habits and preferences are established and can inform future public health nutrition interventions in this setting.
authors: 1Sansom Institute for Health Research (Public Health Group),Division of Health Sciences,University of South Australia,IPC CEA 19,GPO Box 2471,Adelaide,SA 5001,Australia.
authors: Lucinda K
authors: LK
authors: Bell
authors: 2Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO),Animal,Food and Health Sciences,Adelaide,Australia.
authors: Gilly A
authors: GA
authors: Hendrie
authors: 3Start Right Eat Right Manager,Southern Primary Health,Start Right-Eat Right,Morphett Vale,Australia.
authors: Jo
authors: J
authors: Hartley
authors: 1Sansom Institute for Health Research (Public Health Group),Division of Health Sciences,University of South Australia,IPC CEA 19,GPO Box 2471,Adelaide,SA 5001,Australia.
authors: Rebecca K
authors: RK
authors: Golley
mesh_terms: D002654:Child Care; D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D004777:Environment; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D005522:Food Services; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008612:Menu Planning; D057766:Policy; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012201:Reward; D013021:South Australia
keywords: Child; Child care; Evaluation; Food intake; Nutrition
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