UAMS Receives Million NIH Grant to Enhance Healthy Feeding Practices
UAMS has secured a million grant from the National Institutes of Health to improve feeding practices at early childhood care and education sites in Arkansas and Louisiana. The grant will fund a five-year study led by researcher Taren Massey-Swindle, aiming to eliminate inappropriate feeding practices and strengthen evidence-based approaches to support healthy eating habits in children.
The study will focus on training childcare providers at 80 early childhood care and education sites across the two states. Current practices often involve hurrying children, encouraging them to eat more, and using external motivations to finish meals. These methods can lead to children eating less healthy foods, overeating, and developing long-term food rejections. By de-implementing these practices, researchers aim to create lasting healthy eating habits in children.
The project aims to measure the effectiveness of strategies such as role-modeling enjoyment of food and encouraging children to explore new foods through taste, smell, and touch. By the end of the five-year study, the goal is to have developed a package of strategies that can be widely implemented at early childhood care and education sites across the United States. Researchers will track children’s willingness to try different foods, fear of new foods, and the amount of fruits and vegetables they eat.
Dr. Taren Massey-Swindle, an associate professor at UAMS, notes that her personal experience as a childcare provider has driven her commitment to this research. She emphasizes the need for supportive training and evidence-based practices to help childcare providers better support children’s self-regulation of their eating habits.
This grant builds on preliminary studies conducted by Massey-Swindle and her collaborator, Julie Rutledge of Louisiana Tech University. The study’s findings will help shape the future of healthy eating practices in early childhood care and education settings nationwide.
Benefits of the Study
- Enhances healthy eating habits in children
- Eliminates inappropriate feeding practices
- Develops evidence-based strategies for widespread adoption
Locations for the Study
- Little Rock and Russellville in Arkansas
- New Orleans and Ruston in Louisiana
