title: Differences in preschool-age children's dietary intake between meals consumed at childcare and at home.
abstract: Preschool children need optimal nutrition, including a variety of nutrient-dense foods, for growth and development. The purpose of this study was to determine differences in foods and nutrients consumed at childcare and home environments. Children ages 3-to-5 years (n= 90, 3.8 ± 0.7 years; 56% female) from 16 childcare centers participated in this cross-sectional study from 2011 to 2014. Lunches at childcare were observed for two days; three days of dinners at home were reported by caregivers. Nutrient-dense and energy-dense foods were counted and nutrient content of meals was determined using FoodWorks®. More servings of fruit (0.92 ± 0.82 vs. 0.15 ± 0.26;p≤ 0.0001), vegetables (1.47 ± 1.43 vs. 0.62 ± 0.60;p≤ 0.0001), and low-fat dairy (0.83 ± 0.32 vs. 0.07 ± 0.19;p≤ 0.0001) were consumed at childcare than at home. More servings of high-fat, high-sugarfoods(0.08 ± 0.18 vs. 0.43 ± 0.39,p≤ 0.0001) and sugary drinks (0.22 ± 0.41 vs. 0.39 ± 0.35.p≤ 0.001) were consumed at home than at childcare. There were no differences between environments in whole-grains, high-fat meats, or high-fat high-sugarcondimentsconsumed. On average, children consumed 333.0 ± 180.3 kcal at childcare and 454.7 ± 175.3 at home (p≤ 0.0001). There were no differences in macronutrient profiles or in iron, zinc, folate, or vitamin B6 intake. More calcium (86.2 ± 44.6 vs. 44.6 ± 22.2 mg/kcal,p≤ 0.0001) and vitamin A/kcal (56.1 ± 36.9 vs. 26.5 ± 24.2 RAE/kcal,p≤ 0.0001) were consumed at childcare than at home. Preschool children are consuming more nutrient-dense foods and a more servings of fruit and vegetables at childcare during lunch than at home during dinner. Childcare and parents should work together to provide early and consistent exposure to nutrient-rich foods to ensure optimal nutrition for developing children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, OUHSC, Oklahoma City, OK, United States.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Sisson
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, OUHSC, Oklahoma City, OK, United States.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Kiger
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, OUHSC, Oklahoma City, OK, United States.
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Anundson
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, OUHSC, Oklahoma City, OK, United States.
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Rasbold
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, OUHSC, Oklahoma City, OK, United States.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krampe
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, OUHSC, Oklahoma City, OK, United States.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, OUHSC, Oklahoma City, OK, United States.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: DeGrace
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, OUHSC, Oklahoma City, OK, United States.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hoffman
keywords: Childcare; Dietary intake; Home