UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health

In this paper, we conducted a pilot randomized trial of a technology-driven family beverage choice intervention that aimed to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) and fruit juice (FJ) consumption in 60 parent–child dyads, in which children were 1–8 years old. The pediatrician-initiated intervention consisted of a water promotion toolkit, a video, a mobile phone application, and 14 interactive voice-response phone calls to parents over 6 months. Children in both the intervention and the control groups substantially decreased their consumption of SSB and FJ over follow-up and increased water consumption, but constrained linear mixed-effects models showed no differences between groups on these measures. Compared to parents in the control group, intervention parents had larger decreases in SSB intake at 3 months, but these differences were not sustained at 6 months.

Full citation: Lewis KH, Hsu F-C, Block JP, Skelton JA, Schwartz MB, Krieger J, Hindel LR, Ospino Sanchez B, Zoellner J. A Technology-Driven, Healthcare-Based Intervention to Improve Family Beverage Choices: Results from a Pilot Randomized Trial in the United States. Nutrients. 2023; 15(9):2141. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15092141

As many as two-thirds of parents talk to their teens about weight, but these conversations can leave Adolescents feeling criticized, ashamed, and distressed. A new study from the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy & Health highlights the barriers in these conversations between parents and adolescents, and the need for more parent education and supportive communication. Study findings, published in the journal Pediatric Obesity, show that parents want guidance on how to communicate about weight-related topics with their adolescents, while adolescents want their parents to be more supportive and accepting of their weight.

To identify ways to improve supportive parent–child communication about weight, we assessed parent and youth perspectives of barriers to weight communication, preferences for educational resources and support, and whether perspectives differ across demographic groups and weight status. In Fall 2021, online surveys were completed by two independent, unrelated samples of parents (N = 1936) and youth (N = 2032). Parent and youth-reported barriers to weight communication included discomfort and lack of knowledge about weight, and views that weight does not need to be discussed. Most parents wanted guidance on how to navigate multiple weight related topics with their children. Youth preferences for how their parents can be more supportive of their weight included avoiding weight-related criticism and pressures, increasing sensitivity and encouragement, and emphasizing healthy behaviours rather than weight.

Full citation: Puhl, RM, Lessard, LM, Foster, GD, Cardel, MI. Parent–child communication about weight: Priorities for parental education and support. Pediatric Obesity. 2023;e13027. DOI:10.1111/ijpo.13027

In this paper, we suggest ways that the public health community can tap the system’s potential to strengthen community health and voices. We highlight (a) strategies to prioritize access to nutritious food and provide a dignified experience; (b) examples of how food pantries can be a portal to federal benefits, health care, and other resources; and (c) ideas on how these non-profit agencies can increase civic engagement and raise community voices.

Full citation: Schwartz, M., & Caspi, C. (2023). The Charitable Food System as a Change Agent. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, 1201. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1156501

In this paper, we: (a) describe how written food, nutrition, and physical activity district and state policies were strengthened in the United States in response to specific concerns about childhood obesity; (b) present how schools have historically addressed policies concerning children’s social, emotional, and behavioral health; and (c) propose using the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model to strengthen the coordination and integration of school wellness policies. We conclude by describing recently developed tools to assist school districts in implementing the WSCC model.

Full citation: Schwartz, M. B., Chafouleas, S. M., & Koslouski, J. B. (2023). Expanding School Wellness Policies to Encompass the Whole School, Whole Child, Whole Community Model. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, 1090. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1143474

The objective of this review was to summarize the evidence for the impact of Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) on children’s diet quality, weight status, food insecurity, and cognitive development. Nineteen articles were reviewed, most of which had been published since 2012. Seventeen used cross-sectional designs. Twelve evaluated foods and beverages served; 4 evaluated dietary intake; 4 evaluated the child care nutrition environment; 2 evaluated food insecurity, 1 evaluated weight status; none evaluated cognitive outcomes. Studies typically found either a small beneficial association with CACFP or no significant association.

Full citation: Kenney E. L., Tucker, K., Plummer, R. S., Mita, C., & Andreyeva, T. (2023). The Child and Adult Care Food Program and young children’s health: a systematic review. Nutrition Reviews, nuad016. https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuad016

Little is known about the prevalence of negative weight-biased attitudes among Dutch healthcare professionals (HCPs) when treating children and adolescents with obesity and whether interdisciplinary differences are present. Accordingly, we asked 555 Dutch HCPs that treat pediatric patients with obesity to complete a validated 22-item self-report questionnaire about their weight-biased attitudes. HCPs from all disciplines reported to experience negative weight-biased attitudes among themselves. Participants from all groups perceived weight bias expressed by their colleagues, toward children with obesity.

Full citation: van der Voorn, B., Camfferman, R., Seidell, J.C., Puhl, R.M., & Halberstadt, J. (2023) Weight-biased Attitudes about pediatric patients with obesity in Dutch health care professionals from seven different professions. Journal of Child Health Care. https://doi.org/10.1177/13674935221133953

Our aim was to evaluate the nutritional quality of the foods available from 3 USDA Foods programs for households (ie, The Emergency Food Assistance Program, Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, and Commodity Supplemental Food Program) according to the Healthy Eating Research (HER) Guidelines for the Charitable Food System. Using the HER Guidelines, foods were categorized into a 3-tiered system (ie, choose often/green; choose sometimes/yellow; choose rarely/red) based on levels of saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar per serving, and presence of whole grains. The majority of USDA Foods were ranked green (57.3%) or yellow (35.5%). A small number of items were ranked red (3.3%) or were unranked condiments or cooking staples (3.9%).

Full citation: Gombi-Vaca, M. F., & Schwartz, M. B. (2023). Evaluation of USDA Foods Programs for households using nutrition guidelines for the charitable food system. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2023.02.012

Researchers conducted focus groups in one low-income community to assess caregivers’ familiarity, understanding and attitudes regarding healthy drink and snack recommendations for toddlers. A convenience sample of 24 caregivers of toddlers (12–36 months) participated. Results showed most participants were familiar with recommendations, but many were surprised that some drinks and snack foods are not recommended, and most believed recommendations were not realistic. Common barriers to adhering to recommendations included beliefs about their child’s innate preferences, family modeling and others’ provision of drinks and snacks in and outside the home.

Full citation: Harris, J. L., Romo-Palafox, M. J., Gershman, H., Kagan, I., & Duffy, V. (2023). Healthy Snacks and Drinks for Toddlers: A Qualitative Study of Caregivers’ Understanding of Expert Recommendations and Perceived Barriers to Adherence. Nutrients, 15(4), 1006. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15041006

Candy, sweet and salty snacks, sugary drinks, and ice cream brands frequently appear in videos posted by top child-influencers on “made-for-kids” YouTube channels, according to a new paper from researchers at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health at the University of Connecticut. Video views for the 13 channels analyzed in this study exceeded 155 billion as of June 2020. 

The study’s findings, published in Pediatric Obesity, found that 38% of child-influencer videos featured branded food, beverage, or restaurant products, which appeared 4 times per video on average. Candy brands appeared most often (42% of brand appearances), followed by sweet and salty snacks, sugary drinks and ice cream (32% combined). Healthy branded products, such as bottled water, plain milk, or fruit, made up just 9% of food brand appearances.