title: Effectiveness of the Lunch is in the Bag program on communication between the parent, child and child-care provider around fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods: A group-randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effectiveness of the parent- and early care education (ECE) center-based Lunch is in the Bag program on communication between parent, child, and their ECE center providers around fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods (FVWG).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of n=30 ECE center; 577 parent-child dyads participated in this group-randomized controlled trial conducted from 2011 to 2013 in Texas (n=15 ECE center, 327 dyads intervention group; n=15 ECE center, 250 dyads comparison group). Parent-child and parent-ECE center provider communication was measured using a parent-reported survey administered at baseline and end of the five-week intervention period. Multilevel linear regression analysis was used to compare the pre-to-post intervention changes in the parent-child and parent-ECE center provider communication scales. Significance was set at p<0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, parent-child and parent-ECE center provider communication scores were low. There was a significant increase post-intervention in the parent-ECE center provider communication around vegetables (Adjusted β=0.78, 95%CI: 0.13, 1.43, p=0.002), and around fruit (Adjusted β=0.62, 95%CI: 0.04, 0.20, p=0.04) among the parents in the intervention group as compared to those in the comparison group. There were no significant intervention effects on parent-child communication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lunch is in the Bag had significant positive effects on improving communication between the parents and ECE center providers around FVWG.
authors.affiliation: Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, The University of Texas School of Public Health, 1200 Hermann Pressler, RAS E603, Houston, TX 77030, United States. Electronic address: Shreela.V.Sharma@uth.tmc.edu.
authors.forename: Shreela V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas School of Public Health, 1200 Hermann Pressler, Houston, TX 77030, United States. Electronic address: Tasnuva.Rashid@uth.tmc.edu.
authors.forename: Tasnuva
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rashid
authors.affiliation: Health Promotion/Behavioral Sciences, Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, The University of Texas School of Public Health, Austin Regional Campus, 1616 Guadalupe Street, Suite 6.300, Austin, TX 78701, United States. Electronic address: Nalini.Ranjit@uth.tmc.edu.
authors.forename: Nalini
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ranjit
authors.affiliation: Health Promotion/Behavioral Sciences, Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, The University of Texas School of Public Health, Austin Regional Campus, 1616 Guadalupe Street, Suite 6.300, Austin, TX 78701, United States. Electronic address: courtney.e.byrdwilliams@uth.tmc.edu.
authors.forename: Courtney
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Byrd-Williams
authors.affiliation: UT School of Public Health, Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, The University of Texas School of Public Health, 1200 Hermann Pressler, RAS E611, Houston, TX 77030, United States. Electronic address: Ru-Jye.Chuang@uth.tmc.edu.
authors.forename: Ru-Jye
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.affiliation: Third Coast R&D, Inc., 2728 Ave Q, Galveston, TX 77550, United States. Electronic address: croberts@thirdcoastresearch.com.
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roberts-Gray
authors.affiliation: Nutritional Sciences, School of Human Ecology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78746, United States. Electronic address: m.briley@austin.utexas.edu.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Briley
authors.affiliation: Nutritional Sciences, School of Human Ecology, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, A2700, Austin, TX 78712, United States. Electronic address: sjsweitz@mail.utexas.edu.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sweitzer
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion/Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas School of Public Health, Austin Regional Campus, 1616 Guadalupe Street, 6.300, Austin, TX 78701, United States. Electronic address: Deanna.M.Hoelscher@uth.tmc.edu.
authors.forename: Deanna M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Hoelscher
mesh_terms: D002656:Child Day Care Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D053198:Child Nutrition Sciences; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003142:Communication; D002523:Edible Grain; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D062409:Lunch; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013781:Texas; D014675:Vegetables
keywords: Early care education; Fruits; Nutrition; Parent-childcare provider communication; Parent–child communication; Preschool; Vegetables; Whole grain foods