By Scout Nelson
A Nebraska-led initiative aims to help rural children build healthy eating habits, setting the foundation for lifelong wellness. Dipti Dev, an associate professor of child, youth, and family studies at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, is spearheading a five-year, $3.2 million project funded by the National Institutes of Health.
This project is designed to promote healthy eating habits in rural childcare programs through a focus on responsive feeding practices.
Rural communities face unique challenges, with limited resources often impacting children’s diets. Research shows that rural children are 26% more likely to experience obesity, a major risk factor for conditions like diabetes and heart disease. "Rural children and their caregivers face unique challenges with diet and nutrition," Dev said. Flexible in-home child care is essential in these communities, supporting the schedules of rural families.
The project’s EAT (Ecological Approach To) for Prevention program is an online initiative that trains child care providers to encourage responsive feeding.
This method allows children to regulate their own food intake, guided by natural hunger and fullness cues. Dev’s research has shown that this approach can lead to increased fruit, vegetable, and whole grain intake and lower stress during meals.
The project involves a randomized trial with 200 children from 100 rural, home-based child care settings. Researchers will monitor lunch routines and measure children’s diet, body mass index, and skin carotenoid levels, the latter indicating fruit and vegetable intake.
Providers’ feeding practices will also be assessed through surveys, and Nebraska Extension professionals will serve as coaches, tailoring guidance to each provider’s needs.
Sustainability is central to the program’s success. Dev emphasizes that rural child care providers need ongoing support, not just webinars, to bring real change. She envisions Nebraska setting the standard in responsive feeding practices and creating healthier futures for rural children.
Alongside her team at the Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools, and in collaboration with local and national partners, Dev hopes to advance best practices in child nutrition across the nation.
Photo Credit:gettyimages-shotbydave
Categories: Nebraska, General