title: Influencing factors of children's fruit, vegetable and sugar-enriched food intake in a Finnish preschool setting - Preschool personnel's perceptions.
abstract: A large proportion of young children spend most of their weekdays at preschool in Western countries. In Finland, three meals are included in a full day at preschool. These meals have the potential to promote healthy eating. This study aimed to obtain the personnel's (preschool teachers, day-care nurses) views on the factors influencing children's fruit, vegetable, and sugar-enriched food intake at preschool.
  
  
  
  Four focus groups, in all 14 preschool personnel. Two researchers independently analysed the data using a socio-ecological framework.
  
  
  
  At the child level, age, peers, and the child's personality were recognized as factors influencing the fruit and vegetable (FV) and sugar-enriched food intake. At the preschool level, both the physical and social environments were discussed thoroughly, whereas at the societal level, policies of the EU, the state, and the municipality were mentioned as factors that influence what children eat in preschool. The personnel also discussed the interactions between factors both between levels and within levels.
  
  
  
  In Finnish preschools, children's food intake is influenced on and within several levels of the socio-ecological model. The identification of the factors influencing food intake allows different methods of intervention at multiple levels to promote healthy eating behaviours in preschools.
authors.affiliation: Folkhälsan Research Center, Topeliusgatan 20, 00250 Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: carola.ray@folkhalsan.fi.
authors.forename: Carola
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.affiliation: Folkhälsan Research Center, Topeliusgatan 20, 00250 Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: suvi.maatta@folkhalsan.fi.
authors.forename: Suvi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Määttä
authors.affiliation: Folkhälsan Research Center, Topeliusgatan 20, 00250 Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: retta.lehto@folkhalsan.fi.
authors.forename: Reetta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lehto
authors.affiliation: Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Consumption Research Norway SIFO, P.O. Box 4 St. Olavs plass, 0130 Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: gun.roos@sifo.hioa.no.
authors.forename: Gun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Roos
authors.affiliation: Folkhälsan Research Center, Topeliusgatan 20, 00250 Helsinki, Finland; Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Mannerheimintie 172, 00300 Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: eva.roos@folkhalsan.fi.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roos
mesh_terms: D002652:Child Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000208:ethnology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000072001:Diet, Healthy / Q000208:ethnology; D000073417:Dietary Sugars / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D017144:Focus Groups; D005522:Food Services / Q000592:standards; D005638:Fruit; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D009111:Local Government; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000208:ethnology; D000067074:Peer Influence; D024382:Professional Role; D012573:School Nursing; D000070777:School Teachers; D012578:Schools, Nursery / Q000592:standards; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014675:Vegetables; D000078329:Workforce
chemical_list: D000073417:Dietary Sugars
keywords: FV intake; Focus group discussions; Preschool children; Preschool personnel; Socio-ecological model; Sugar-enriched food intake