Table 3 Director attitudes regarding nutrition, staff, parents and children in the childcare center (n = 292)
From: The food and activity environments of childcare centers in Rhode Island: a directors’ survey
Question | All centers (%) | CACFP (%) | Non-CACFP (%) | p value* | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SA | A | D | SD | SA | A | D | SD | SA | A | D | SD | ||
Directors | |||||||||||||
ᅟI believe it is important to offer healthy foods to children in my care | 79.4 | 20.6 | -- | -- | 80.6 | 19.4 | -- | -- | 79.7 | 20.3 | -- | -- | 1.000 |
ᅟI believe it is important to let children see me enjoying the same healthy foods they are eating | 69.8 | 27.4 | 2.8 | -- | 71.4 | 25.7 | 2.9 | -- | 71.0 | 26.1 | 2.9 | -- | 1.000 |
ᅟI am concerned that enrollment will drop if I begin serving healthier snacks and meals | -- | 0.9 | 43.9 | 55.1 | -- | 0.0 | 41.7 | 58.3 | -- | 1.5 | 44.9 | 53.6 | .8922 |
ᅟI believe it is important to communicate with parents regarding nutrition | 47.2 | 50.9 | 1.9 | -- | 50.0 | 50.0 | 0.0 | -- | 44.1 | 52.9 | 2.9 | -- | .7174 |
ᅟI discuss with parents if lunches or snacks sent in are not healthy. | 25.0 | 57.3 | 15.6 | 2.1 | 25.9 | 55.6 | 11.1 | 7.4 | 25.0 | 58.8 | 16.2 | 0.0 | .2160 |
ᅟIt is difficult to encourage children of a variety of ethnic backgrounds to eat the food at the center | -- | 47.2 | 50.9 | 1.9 | -- | 25.0 | 63.9 | 11.1 | -- | 10.0 | 65.0 | 25.0 | .0709 |
ᅟI am concerned about wasting food because the children won’t eat healthy food | 2.8 | 16.0 | 61.3 | 19.8 | 5.6 | 13.9 | 66.7 | 13.9 | 1.5 | 17.7 | 57.3 | 23.5 | .3846 |
ᅟHealthy foods are available at the store where I do my food shopping | 75.0 | 23.6 | 1.4 | -- | 53.9 | 42.3 | 3.8 | -- | 86.7 | 13.3 | 0.0 | -- | .0047 |
ᅟI am able to identify healthy foods to prepare | 83.3 | 16.7 | -- | -- | 65.4 | 34.6 | -- | -- | 93.3 | 6.7 | -- | -- | .0061 |
ᅟI use the nutrition facts on food labels to make purchasing decisions | 59.1 | 29.6 | 11.3 | -- | 42.3 | 46.2 | 11.5 | -- | 68.2 | 20.4 | 11.4 | -- | .0747 |
ᅟI compare prices among healthy foods. | 62.8 | 31.4 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 46.1 | 46.1 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 72.1 | 23.3 | 2.3 | 2.3 | .0920 |
ᅟI often choose a less healthy option because it is more affordable | 4.2 | 14.1 | 45.1 | 36.6 | 8.0 | 12.0 | 44.0 | 36.0 | 2.2 | 15.6 | 46.7 | 35.6 | .7503 |
Staff | |||||||||||||
ᅟOn average my staff has very limited or no education or training in nutrition | 2.9 | 16.4 | 51.9 | 28.8 | 0.0 | 8.8 | 61.8 | 29.4 | 4.4 | 20.6 | 45.6 | 29.4 | .2434 |
ᅟNutrition education is regularly offered to the staff | 9.5 | 48.6 | 36.2 | 5.7 | 17.1 | 60.0 | 22.9 | 0.0 | 5.9 | 42.6 | 42.6 | 8.8 | .0161 |
ᅟStaff members sit with the children during snacks and meals | 63.6 | 30.8 | 4.7 | 0.9 | 52.8 | 44.4 | 2.8 | 0.00 | 71.0 | 21.7 | 5.8 | 1.5 | .0765 |
ᅟStaff members rarely eat the same foods and have the same drinks as the children | 15.4 | 26.9 | 44.2 | 13.5 | 11.4 | 22.9 | 45.7 | 20.0 | 17.9 | 26.9 | 44.8 | 10.4 | .5351 |
ᅟThe staff at my center are highly motivated to serve healthy foods to the children | 44.2 | 51.0 | 3.8 | 1.0 | 35.3 | 58.8 | 5.9 | 0.0 | 48.5 | 47.1 | 2.9 | 1.5 | .4659 |
ᅟChildren are encouraged to finish the food on their plate | 9.4 | 50.9 | 30.2 | 9.4 | 5.6 | 47.2 | 33.3 | 13.9 | 11.8 | 52.9 | 27.9 | 7.4 | .5194 |
Parents | |||||||||||||
SA | A | D | SD | SA | A | D | SD | SA | A | D | SD | ||
ᅟParents demand that their children be served healthy foods | 8.7 | 42.7 | 40.8 | 7.8 | 5.6 | 50.0 | 33.3 | 11.1 | 10.8 | 40.0 | 44.6 | 4.6 | .3537 |
ᅟParents care more about the quantity of food that their children are eating | 4.1 | 27.5 | 60.2 | 8.2 | 6.1 | 42.4 | 45.4 | 6.1 | 3.1 | 20.3 | 67.2 | 9.4 | .0853 |
ᅟParents care more about the quality of food that their children are eating | 14.3 | 58.2 | 25.5 | 2.0 | 6.2 | 59.4 | 34.4 | 0.0 | 18.5 | 58.5 | 20.0 | 3.0 | .1909 |
ᅟSnacks and meals supplied by parents are checked to make sure that they meet the nutrition standards of the facility | 18.7 | 44.8 | 29.2 | 7.3 | 23.1 | 42.3 | 23.1 | 11.5 | 17.6 | 45.6 | 30.9 | 5.9 | .6452 |
ᅟFrom conversations with parents and children, it seems that parents are knowledgeable about healthy foods to serve to children | 10.7 | 61.2 | 22.3 | 5.8 | 3.0 | 45.5 | 39.4 | 12.1 | 14.7 | 67.7 | 14.7 | 2.9 | .0029 |
ᅟFrom conversations with parents and children, it seems that parents reinforce nutrition education at home | 6.9 | 52.5 | 31.7 | 8.9 | 0.0 | 35.5 | 45.2 | 19.3 | 10.3 | 60.3 | 25.0 | 4.4 | .0028 |
ᅟIt seems that parents are concerned about the quality of fruits and vegetables | 8.6 | 40.9 | 41.9 | 8.6 | 0.0 | 40.0 | 46.7 | 13.3 | 12.9 | 41.9 | 38.7 | 6.5 | .1251 |
ᅟWhen parents bring outside meals for their children, the food brought in is often healthy. | 7.3 | 60.4 | 22.9 | 9.4 | 0.0 | 42.3 | 34.6 | 23.1 | 10.1 | 68.1 | 17.4 | 4.4 | .0028 |
Children | |||||||||||||
SA | A | D | SD | SA | A | D | SD | SA | A | D | SD | ||
ᅟChildren like to try new foods | 11.4 | 61.9 | 25.7 | 1.0 | 14.7 | 61.8 | 20.6 | 2.9 | 10.1 | 63.8 | 26.1 | 0.0 | .4378 |
N | R | S | O | N | R | S | O | N | R | S | O | ||
ᅟChildren are involved in structured nutrition education (based on lesson plans, books, experiential activities | -- | 7.6 | 46.2 | 46.2 | -- | 2.8 | 42.7 | 54.3 | -- | 10.1 | 46.4 | 43.5 | .3525 |
ᅟChildren are involved in cooking activities and hands-on sensory food experiences | 2.8 | 6.5 | 45.8 | 44.9 | 0.0 | 8.3 | 55.6 | 36.1 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 40.6 | 50.7 | .2402 |