Deimplementation of Inappropriate Feeding Practices in Early Care and Education Settings

Launched by ARKANSAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE · Jul 30, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is focused on improving how young children are fed in early education settings, like preschools and daycare centers, in Arkansas and Louisiana, where adult obesity rates are among the highest in the country. The study aims to stop certain feeding practices used by teachers that might encourage unhealthy eating habits and lead to weight problems in children as they grow. By changing these practices, the researchers hope to help children develop healthier eating behaviors and reduce their risk of obesity later in life.

The study will include classrooms that have at least 15 children aged 3 to 5 years and are located within about 100 miles of the research staff’s offices. If your child’s preschool or daycare agrees to join, all classrooms there will receive the new feeding approach, but only one classroom per site will be involved in detailed data collection about the children’s outcomes. Sites that have recently taken part in similar studies won’t be included. Families won’t need to change their routines much, but their children’s eating habits and growth may be observed to see if the new feeding methods make a positive difference. This study is not yet open for enrollment.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Sites within a 100-mile radius of staff offices serving 15+ children ages 3 to 5 years and agreeing to participate in data collection can be included. All classrooms at a site will receive the same deimplementation strategies and participate in data collection. We will select one classroom at random per site to participate in the collection of child outcomes (N= 264 classrooms, 15 children per classroom= 1320 children total).
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • We will exclude sites that have participated in intervention studies with our team in the last 3 years.