Abstract:  Child undernutrition and stunting remain serious public health problems in Indonesia. According to the Health Belief Model, increasing mothers’ knowledge of stunting is fundamental to establishing accurate threat perceptions predictive of behavior change. The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of factors related to maternal knowledge of stunting in Indonesia by addressing three questions: 1) How familiar with stunting are Indonesian mothers? 2) What antecedent factors do Indonesian mothers associate with stunting? and 3) What health effects do Indonesian mothers associate with stunting? A total of 3,150 mothers participated in structured face-to-face interviews. Study measures targeted four main variables. Mothers were asked: 1) Have you heard of stunting?; 2) Have you heard of shortness?; 3) What causes stunting/shortness?; and 4) What are the effects of stunting? Only 66 (2.1%) mothers reported having heard of, read about, or knew something about stunting. Approximately two-thirds of participants attributed stunting to hereditary factors. Interrupted growth (33.7%), idiocy (13.8%), and easy to get sick (11.8%) were identified as health effects of stunting. Results highlight the need for health promotion and education efforts focused on increasing basic knowledge of stunting, its causes, and its health effects among Indonesian mothers.

Keywords:  Stunting, knowledge, childhood nutrition, Indonesia, Health Belief Model.

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Abstract:  Purpose/Objective: To compare preschool lunch menus that meet dietary guidelines to what is actually served and consumed.

Methods: Fifty-two preschool children (mean±SD, age 3y and 10m ± 8m) from a university early childhood center participated in the 10-week study. Dietary intake was measured by a registered dietitian using direct observation for pre and post meal analysis. Energy and nutrient content was completed using Food Processor Nutrition Analysis by ESHA.

Results: There was a significant (p<0.05) difference for total kilocalories (kcals) between what was on the menu (448 ± 130) and to what was served to the children (523 ± 148) compared to what was consumed (361 ± 178) by the children.There was a significant (p<0.05) difference for grams of fat between what food was listed on the menu (16.0 ± 8.7g), the food served to the children (21.2 ± 9.7g), and the food consumed (14.5 ± 10.0g) by the children. There was a significant (p<0.05) difference for grams of carbohydrate between what food was listed on the menu (55.3 ± 18.9g) and the food served to the children (56.5 ± 20.5g) compared to what was consumed (38.5 ± 21.7g) by the children. Children consumed only 46.9% of the vegetables, 88.9% of dairy products, 82.0% of fruits, 81.8% of grains and 72.8% of meats served, and 77.9% of all fats/sweets served to them at lunch.

Conclusion: The results indicated that menus that meet recommended dietary standards do not translate into what children are served or consumed, in particular, for vegetables.

Keywords:  Dietary Intake, Early Childhood, Served, Food Preference.

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Abstract:  Objective: The goals of this study were to assess the impact of recent changes in the WIC allotment on fruit intake, dietary quality/adequacy, energy/nutrient intakes, and potential impact of the complete removal of 100% fruit juice (FJ) from the package.

Methods: 24-hour recalls from children 1-4 years who were WIC participants or income-eligible nonparticipants in the NHANES 2007-2008 and 2011-2014 (before and after WIC package changes) were analyzed.

Results: There were no differences in the Healthy Eating Index-2015 total score; subcomponent scores for “greens and beans” and for “fatty acid ratio” were higher in 2011-2014 than in 2007-2008 in children participating in WIC; scores for “sodium” were higher in 2011-2014 than in 2007-2008 in children not participating in WIC but income-eligible. In WIC participants mean intakes of riboflavin, vitamins B12 and C, and zinc were significantly (p<0.01) lower, and intake of vitamin E was significantly (p<0.01) higher in 2011-2014 compared to 2007-2008. One significant difference in nutrient adequacy in children was that of a lower (p<0.01) percentage of inadequacy for WIC participants for vitamin E and a higher (p<0.01) percentage of inadequacy for WIC participants for vitamin A in 2011-2014 as compared to those in 2007-2008. The elimination of FJ from the WIC food packages resulted in a 38-50% lower total fruit intake and a 4-5% reduction in total HEI-2015 score.

Conclusion: Changes in the WIC program resulted in potential adverse effects on mean intakes of some nutrients but not on the nutrient adequacy or overall diet quality. Confirmatory studies are needed.

Keywords:  WIC program, dietary intake, children, NHANES, fruit juice.

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Abstract:  Objective: To examine the association between maternal responsive feeding in infancy and later parental feeding style in childhood, with a secondary aim of linking parenting style to child weight status

Design: Short-term, longitudinal study

Subjects: 65 mother-infant pairs, followed from 3-months to 3-years

Methods: Mother-child dyads were seen at enrollment, observed at home when the infant was 3-months-old, and at home again when the infant turned 2-years of age. When the child reached 3-years, mothers self-reported their feeding style.

Results: Responsive maternal feeding at 3-months predicted an authoritative feeding style at 3-years, and the authoritative feeding style was associated with a healthier weight status.

Conclusion: Responsive feeding in infancy may serve as the foundation for responsive feeding in childhood and may serve to help in reducing obesity risk

Keywords:  Feeding style, parenting style, responsive feeding, authoritative parenting, BMI.

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