Actively Recruiting
Healthy Children, Healthy Communities: Effectiveness of a Multilevel Rural Community Engagement Model for Improving Children's Dietary Intake in Family Child Care Homes
Led by University of Nebraska Lincoln · Updated on 2026-04-20
360
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
192 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
The purpose of this study is to find out whether a program called "Healthy Children, Healthy Communities" can help young children in rural areas eat healthier and improve their health. The study focuses on children ages 3 to 5 who attend family childcare homes in rural communities. The main goal is to see if the program can: Help children eat healthier foods, like more fruits and vegetables. Support childcare providers in using positive mealtime practices that encourage healthy eating. The study will involve about 120 licensed family childcare providers in rural areas who participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), along with about 240 children they care for. Childcare providers will be randomly placed into one of two groups: EAT Family Style Group (Intervention Group): Complete 7 online training modules over 16 weeks about healthy mealtime practices. Join 7 individual coaching sessions on Zoom. Record short videos of their mealtimes to get personalized feedback from a coach. Work with a coach to set goals and make plans to improve mealtimes. Receive printed materials and conversation cards to use during meals. Some providers may join Zoom interviews to share their experiences. Better Kid Care Group (Comparison Group): Complete 10 online modules about general childcare topics like child development, oral health, play, and managing a childcare home. For both groups, the research team will: Ask providers to fill out online surveys about how mealtimes work in their childcare homes. Visit the childcare homes to observe and record children's mealtimes on two days at each data collection point. Measure the height and weight of participating children. Use a painless skin scanner (Veggie Meter) to check how many fruits and vegetables children have been eating. Ask providers to complete surveys about the children's eating habits. The study focuses on rural, low-income communities, where children are at higher risk of having poor diets and obesity compared to children in urban areas. Information will be collected at the start of the study, after 16 weeks, and again after 24 weeks to see if there are lasting changes.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Healthy Children, Healthy Communities: Effectiveness of a Multilevel Rural Community Engagement Model for Improving Children's Dietary Intake in Family Child Care Homes
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Licensed family childcare home-based early child care and education settings
- Located in Nebraska (with possible expansion to nearby states if needed)
- Participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
- Care for at least 2 preschool-aged non-sibling children (3-5 years old) without feeding disorders or developmental delays
- Provide meals and snacks to attending children
- Located in a county designated as nonmetropolitan based on 2023 Rural-Urban Continuum Codes
- Providers currently care for at least two 3-5 year old non-sibling children without dietary restrictions or feeding disorders affecting eating
- Providers present during meals and snacks
- Providers are over 19 years old
- Providers have not participated in this study before
- Children are between 3 to 5 years old
- Children have no dietary restrictions or feeding disorders impacting eating (lactose intolerance, egg/nut allergies, or vegetarian diet allowed)
- Children are typically developing with no diagnosed developmental delays
- Children have a parent or guardian aged 19 or older to provide consent
You will not qualify if you...
- Family childcare home provider closes the business
- Provider stops serving meals to children
- Provider discontinues CACFP participation or no longer follows CACFP meal patterns
- Provider loses all eligible study children due to children leaving care or developing feeding disorders or developmental delays
- Children diagnosed with dietary restrictions or feeding disorders that impact eating (such as soft diet or swallowing difficulties)
- Children diagnosed with developmental delays
- Child is a sibling of a participating child (only one 3-5 year old child per family eligible)
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
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Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
University of Nebraska Lincoln
Lincoln, Nebraska, United States, 68588
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
D
Dipti Dev, PhD
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
DOUBLE
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Model
PARALLEL
Primary Purpose
PREVENTION
Number of Arms
2
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