BACKGROUND Young children should consume a variety of nutrient-dense foods to support growth, while limiting added fat and sugar. A majority of children between the ages of 3 and 5 years attend child care in the United States, which makes this environment and the child-care staff influential at meals. OBJECTIVE The aim was to determine the association between best-practice food-related behaviors and young children's tastes of fruit, vegetable, low-fat dairy, and high-fat/high-sugar foods at child care. DESIGN This was a cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS A community-based study with 201 children ages 3 to 5 years from 25 early care and education centers, including 11 tribally affiliated centers and two Head Start programs across Oklahoma. Data collection occurred from fall 2011 to spring 2014. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Classroom observations used the Environmental Policy Assessment Observation tool to measure the staff behaviors and environment. Staff behavior was compared at three different levels: the composite score of staff nutrition behavior, each constituent staff behavior, and staff behaviors grouped into broader feeding behaviors. Tasted food was measured through the Dietary Observation in Child Care method. The children's meals were categorized into the following food groups: fruit, vegetable, low-fat dairy, fried vegetable, fried meat, high-fat meat, and high-fat/high-sugar food. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS PERFORMED Descriptive statistics were calculated for relevant variables. Relationships between the constituent staff behaviors and food groups that children tasted were compared using multilevel mixed-model analysis. RESULTS The mean number of tasted fruit or vegetable items was higher and the mean number of tasted high-fat/high-sugar food items was lower when staff: 1) determined fullness before plate removal when less than half of food was eaten, 2) ate with the children, 3) and talked about healthy food. CONCLUSIONS The utilization of the three staff behaviors and their association with higher mean tastes of nutrient-dense items and lower mean tastes of high-fat/high-sugar food items among exposed children demonstrated support for the use of the best practices in early care and education centers.

中文翻译：

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俄克拉荷马州托儿所午餐期间员工与食物相关的行为和儿童对食物组的口味

背景 幼儿应该食用多种营养丰富的食物以支持生长，同时限制添加的脂肪和糖。大多数 3 至 5 岁的儿童在美国上托儿所，这使得这种环境和托儿人员在用餐时具有影响力。目的 目的是确定最佳实践食品相关行为与幼儿在托儿所中对水果、蔬菜、低脂乳制品和高脂/高糖食品的口味之间的关联。设计 这是一项横断面研究。参与者 一项基于社区的研究，涉及来自 25 个早期护理和教育中心的 201 名 3 至 5 岁儿童，其中包括俄克拉荷马州的 11 个部落附属中心和两个启蒙计划。数据收集发生在 2011 年秋季至 2014 年春季。主要结果测量课堂观察使用环境政策评估观察工具来衡量员工的行为和环境。员工行为在三个不同的层次上进行比较：员工营养行为的综合评分、每个组成部分的员工行为，以及归为更广泛的喂养行为的员工行为。通过儿童保育中的饮食观察方法测量品尝的食物。儿童餐分为以下食物组别：水果、蔬菜、低脂乳制品、油炸蔬菜、油炸肉类、高脂肪肉类和高脂肪/高糖食物。执行统计分析 计算相关变量的描述性统计。使用多级混合模型分析比较了组成员工行为与儿童品尝的食物组之间的关系。结果 当员工吃到水果或蔬菜的平均数量较高，而尝到的高脂肪/高糖食品的平均数量较低时：1) 当食物被吃掉一半时，在取出盘子前确定饱腹感，2)和孩子们一起吃饭，3）并谈论健康食品。结论 在暴露的儿童中，三种员工行为的使用及其与营养密集食品的较高平均口味和高脂肪/高糖食品的较低平均口味的关联表明支持在早期护理和护理中使用最佳实践。教育中心。3）并谈论健康食品。结论 在暴露的儿童中，三种员工行为的使用及其与营养密集食品的较高平均口味和高脂肪/高糖食品的较低平均口味的关联表明支持在早期护理和护理中使用最佳实践。教育中心。3）并谈论健康食品。结论 在暴露的儿童中，三种员工行为的使用及其与营养密集食品的较高平均口味和高脂肪/高糖食品的较低平均口味的关联表明支持在早期护理和护理中使用最佳实践。教育中心。