Simply Good Eating Partners with the Head Start Program to Improve Health and Nutrition Using Lessons in a Box: Comparing Two Years of Data.

Abstract

The program objective was to compare the effectiveness of targeted nutrition education for preschool children in changing eating and physical activity behaviors in two youth groups. Data were collected from preschoolers attending Head Start programs during years 2011 (n=460) and 2012 (n=350) in nine counties in South Central Minnesota.

The Lessons in a Box program was delivered through the Simply Good Eating program. The lessons focused on good nutrition, food safety and physical activity.

Parents reported child eating behaviors, physical activity, family food security, food intake and demographic information. Evaluation data from independent samples during 2011 and 2012 included changes in key outcomes for children, and pre- and post-assessment childrens’ body mass index percentiles. The Lessons in a Box program was most beneficial for participating youth who fell outside of the healthy weight category and where the parents of participating youth were concerned about youth eating behaviors.