TY - JOUR
T1 - Relationships between proximity to grocery stores and Oklahoma Early Care and Education classroom nutrition practices
AU - Williams, Bethany D.
AU - Sisson, Susan B.
AU - Lowery, Bryce C.
AU - Dev, Dipti A.
AU - Horm, Diane M.
AU - Campbell, Janis E.
AU - Finneran, Denise A.
AU - Graef-Downard, Jennifer
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the United States (U.S.) Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award (Grant #: 90YR0115 ) totaling $25,000 with 100 percent funded by ACF/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACF/HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit the ACF website, Administrative and National Policy Requirements. Additional funding was provided by the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences College of Allied Health Student Research and Creativity Grant, and the Department of Nutritional Sciences. None of the reported funding sources played a role in study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the article for publication
Funding Information:
We would like to acknowledge the participants in this study. We appreciate the support of Kathy Kyler for scientific editorial review. We would also like to acknowledge our community partners, including Kay Floyd from the Office of Head Start, and their collaboration for providing input on study and survey design, and for assisting with recruitment efforts. We are deeply grateful for our partners from the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, Oklahoma State Department of Health, Oklahoma Association for the Education of Young Children, and Oklahoma Child Care Association for assisting with recruitment efforts, providing integral feedback on study findings, and for helping with dissemination of our findings among the Oklahoma childcare community. Finally, we would like to acknowledge Daisy Butzer and Cassandra Camp for their contributions to study recruitment, data entry, and quality control. This research was supported by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the United States (U.S.) Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award (Grant #: 90YR0115) totaling $25,000 with 100 percent funded by ACF/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACF/HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit the ACF website, Administrative and National Policy Requirements. Additional funding was provided by the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences College of Allied Health Student Research and Creativity Grant, and the Department of Nutritional Sciences. None of the reported funding sources played a role in study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the article for publication
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors
PY - 2022/10
Y1 - 2022/10
N2 - The study purpose was to determine associations between proximity to grocery stores and Early Care and Education programs’ (i.e., ECEs) classroom nutrition practices and barriers, by ECE context (Head Start, community-based childcare [CBC], and family child care homes [FCCHs]). A statewide cross-sectional survey was implemented in Oklahoma ECEs. Directors reported classroom nutrition practices with the Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment tool, and barriers to implementation. Locations of 457 grocery stores statewide were determined by in-person audit. Geocoded ECEs were considered within a “low proximity” area if no grocery stores were available within a 0.25-mile radius for urban, or 10-mile radius for rural, ECEs. From November 2019 to February 2020, 54 Head Starts, 159 CBCs, and 160 FCCHs participated. 31.0 % were considered as low proximity. Head Starts demonstrated the highest classroom nutrition scores for mealtime practices, and nutrition education and policy. While proximity to grocery stores was not related to classroom nutrition practices for any ECE context (p > 0.05), FCCHs located within a low proximity area reported barriers to implementing those practices more often compared to FCCHs in an area within accessible proximity of grocery store. Thus, proximity to grocery stores was related to barriers in FCCHs only; those provider's experiences and perceptions may be most susceptible to influence of the community nutrition environment, compared to other ECE contexts. Contrary to studies in residential areas and schools, nutrition environments were not related to nutrition practices in ECEs. ECEs may serve as protective micro-environments supporting health for children residing in nearby low-access communities.
AB - The study purpose was to determine associations between proximity to grocery stores and Early Care and Education programs’ (i.e., ECEs) classroom nutrition practices and barriers, by ECE context (Head Start, community-based childcare [CBC], and family child care homes [FCCHs]). A statewide cross-sectional survey was implemented in Oklahoma ECEs. Directors reported classroom nutrition practices with the Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment tool, and barriers to implementation. Locations of 457 grocery stores statewide were determined by in-person audit. Geocoded ECEs were considered within a “low proximity” area if no grocery stores were available within a 0.25-mile radius for urban, or 10-mile radius for rural, ECEs. From November 2019 to February 2020, 54 Head Starts, 159 CBCs, and 160 FCCHs participated. 31.0 % were considered as low proximity. Head Starts demonstrated the highest classroom nutrition scores for mealtime practices, and nutrition education and policy. While proximity to grocery stores was not related to classroom nutrition practices for any ECE context (p > 0.05), FCCHs located within a low proximity area reported barriers to implementing those practices more often compared to FCCHs in an area within accessible proximity of grocery store. Thus, proximity to grocery stores was related to barriers in FCCHs only; those provider's experiences and perceptions may be most susceptible to influence of the community nutrition environment, compared to other ECE contexts. Contrary to studies in residential areas and schools, nutrition environments were not related to nutrition practices in ECEs. ECEs may serve as protective micro-environments supporting health for children residing in nearby low-access communities.
KW - Barriers
KW - Classroom nutrition practices
KW - ECE
KW - GIS
KW - Proximity to grocery stores
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85135698510&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85135698510&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.101917
DO - 10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.101917
M3 - Article
C2 - 35935450
AN - SCOPUS:85135698510
VL - 29
JO - Preventive Medicine Reports
JF - Preventive Medicine Reports
SN - 2211-3355
M1 - 101917
ER -