A PRE- AND POST-MENU EVALUATION OF HEALTHY FUTURES STARTING IN THE KITCHEN : AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM THAT TEACHES CHILD CARE CENTER COOKS AND ADMINISTRATORS ABOUT HEALTHY MENU PLANNING AND FOOD PERPARATION FOR CHILDREN Open Access

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Obesity is a serious health concern for children and adolescents (D.C. Hunger Solutions, 2010). Results from the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), using measured heights and weights, indicate that an estimated 17 percent of children and adolescents ages 2-19 years are obese (NHANES, 2010). Among pre-school age children 2-5 years of age, obesity increased from 5 to 10.4%, between the years of 1976-1980, and from 6.5 to 19.6% between 2007-2008 (NHANES, 2010). In order to combat childhood obesity, it is imperative that support comes from individuals who have the ability to make a significant impact in a child's life when parents, family, and friends are not able to do so. It is often child care centers that are left with the responsibility of caring, nurturing, educating and providing balanced meals for children during their most critical years of life. A program committed to educating cooks and administrators about healthy menu planning is Healthy Futures Starting in Kitchen (HFSK). This program targets those who serve children in child care centers - cooks and administrators. HFSK offers healthy food alternatives, ideas, and choices to the child care center (CCC) menus. Five variables of interest include: whole grains, milk, vegetables, low fat meats and proteins. The goal is to evaluate pre- and post-menus to determine if changes have been made after the HFSK program intervention according to the variables selected. The content of this paper will discuss the importance of the HFSK program and its effects on healthy menu planning in CCCs in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Assessing this information will provide specific information which will help improve program practices with the goal of expanding to other North Carolina counties in the future.

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of contents…………………………………………………………..................................6

List of tables………………………………………………………………………..............................8

List of figures……………………………………………………………………….............................9

Abstract……………………………………………………………………....................................10

Introduction………………………………………………………………....................................11

Background…………………………………………………………..............……….....................11

Literature Review…………………………………………………......………............................13

Conceptual Framework…………………………………………….....……............................16

Purpose……………………………………………………………………......................................18

Problem Statement…………………………………………………………................................18

Significance of Study………………………………………………………...............................18

Study Aims and Research Hypothesis……………………………................................19

Assumptions………………………………………………………………....................................20

Delimitations…………………………………………………………....................................... 20

Limitations………………………………………………………….......................................... 20

Definitions…………………………………………………………......……….............................. 20

Methodology……………………………………………………………………….............................23

Research Design……………………………………………………………................................ 23

Study Material………………………………………………………………................................ 24

Study Population………………………………………………………................................... 24

Selection Criteria………………………………………………………….................................. 24

Confidentiality…………………………………………………………….................................... 25

Data Management…………………………………………………………..................................25

Measures…………………………………………………………………...................................... 25

Analysis Plan……………………………………………………………….................................... 26

Results…………………………………………………………………………….................................27

Analysis…………………………………………………………………........................................ 27

Discussions………………………………………………………………………............................... 30

Limitations………………………………………………………….....……...................................31

Conclusion………………………………………………………….....……….................................31

References…………………………………………………………………………............................. 33

Appendix…………………………………………………………………………................................ 36

Appendix A Emory Institutional Review Board………………………........................... 36

Appendix B Resume…………………………………………………….................................... 37

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE

Table 1. Conceptual Model Table from "Theory at a Glance: A Guide for Health Promotions Practice" ……………………………………………………………….......................................................17

Table 2. Four Variables Pre- and Post Participation with HFSK…………………...........26

Table 3. Increases in Variables from Pre-menu Post-menu………………………........... 27

Table 4. Post Menu Comparison of Variables Monday and Tuesday vs. Thursday and

Friday………………………………………………………………………………..................................27

LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE

1. Health Belief Model…………………………………………………….....................................13

About this Master's Thesis

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School	Rollins School of Public Health
Department	Career Masters of Public Health
Degree	MPH
Submission	Master's Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Health Sciences, Public Health
Keyword	menu planning for child care centers Healthy Futures Starting in the Kitche Evaluation
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Smith, Iris E, Emory University
Committee Members	Laula, Priscilla, Mecklenburg County Health Department
Partnering Agencies	State or local health department (not in Georgia)

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