Assistant Professor, (
Senior Biostatistician, (
J Sch Health. 2020 Nov;90(11):869-877. doi: 10.1111/josh.12952. Epub 2020 Sep 20.
Early care and education settings (ECE) are potential venues for young children to develop healthy lifestyle habits. The study assesses training needs and associations with relevant practices of licensed ECE providers across Minnesota and Wisconsin.
A random sample of 823 providers completed a 97-item survey assessing nutrition and physical activity (PA) practices and training needs. Logistic regression, adjusted for program type (center- and family home-based), and location (urban/rural) examined associations between the top 3 selected training needs and provider practices.
Top training needs: (1) ways to effectively engage parents about healthy eating and PA, (2) low-cost ways to serve healthy foods, and (3) fun and easy nutrition education curricula. Providers who reported being not happy/somewhat happy vs happy/very happy with parent communication were more likely to need training to engage parents. Among providers who prepared food on-site, shopping at Farmer's Market had lower odds of needing training for serving healthy meals on a budget. Not having completed nutrition training in the past year providers were more likely to need training for fun and easy nutrition education curricula.
Providers need additional training to improve communication with parents, healthy food shopping practices, and nutrition-related games.
早期护理和教育环境（ECE）是幼儿养成健康生活习惯的潜在场所。本研究评估了明尼苏达州和威斯康星州持照 ECE 提供者的培训需求及其与相关实践的关联。
对 823 名提供者进行了随机抽样调查，调查内容包括营养和体育活动（PA）实践和培训需求，调查采用了 97 项项问卷调查，其中包括营养和体育活动（PA）实践和培训需求。使用逻辑回归，调整了方案类型（中心和家庭式）和地点（城市/农村），调查了前 3 个选定的培训需求与提供者实践之间的关联。
前 3 项培训需求为：（1）有效吸引家长关注健康饮食和体育活动的方法，（2）提供低成本健康食品的方法，（3）有趣且简单的营养教育课程。报告与家长沟通不愉快/有些不愉快的提供者与报告愉快/非常愉快的提供者相比，更有可能需要培训来吸引家长。在那些现场准备食物的提供者中，在农贸市场购物的人在预算内提供健康餐的培训需求较低。在过去一年中没有完成营养培训的提供者更有可能需要有趣且简单的营养教育课程的培训。
提供者需要额外的培训，以提高与家长的沟通、健康食品购物实践以及与营养相关的游戏技能。
