TY - JOUR
T1 - The placemat protocol
T2 - Measuring preschoolers' healthy-meal schemas with pretend meals
AU - The STRONG Kids Research Team
AU - Harrison, Kristen
AU - Peralta, Mericarmen
AU - Jacobsohn, Gwen Costa
AU - Grider, David T.
AU - Bost, Kelly K.
AU - McBride, Brent A.
AU - Donovan, Sharon M.
AU - Grigsby-Toussaint, Diana S.
AU - Liechty, Janet M.
AU - Wiley, Angela
AU - Teran-Garcia, Margarita
AU - Fiese, Barbara
AU - Buechel, Jennifer
AU - Carpenter, Evan
AU - Hamden, Rachel
AU - Hauser, Ana
AU - Kaltz, Jessica
AU - Kemple, Dugan
AU - Kim, Jane
AU - Lipowski, Julia
AU - Park, Jennifer
AU - Rodriguez, Elisse
AU - Spigelman, Anna
AU - Tung, Nicole
AU - Weiner, Hannah
AU - Krislaty, Viktoria
AU - Mirsky, Benjamin
AU - Tabak, Alana
AU - Gonzalez, Joseph
AU - Dressler, Julie
AU - Clappison, Kathryn
AU - Goldman, Adam
AU - Loeb, Sarah
AU - Hong, Lauryn
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier Ltd.
PY - 2016/1/1
Y1 - 2016/1/1
N2 - Nutrition instruction can lead to more healthful food choices among children, but little is known about preschoolers' healthy-meal schemas because there are few developmentally appropriate measures. This study validated the Placemat Protocol, a novel measure of preschooler healthy-meal schemas using realistic food models to assemble pretend meals. Preschoolers (N = 247, mean age 4 years 8 months) created 2 meals (preferred and healthy), completed measures of verbal nutrition knowledge and vocabulary, and were weighed and measured for BMI. Parents reported healthy eating guidance, child dietary intake, and family demographics. Children used an average of 5.1 energy-dense (ED) and 3.4 nutrient-dense (ND) foods for their preferred meal, but reversed the ratio to 3.1 ED and 5.1 ND foods for their healthy meal. Healthy meals contained fewer estimated kcal, less fat, less sugar, and more fiber than preferred meals. Meal differences held for younger children, children with lower verbal nutrition knowledge and vocabulary, and child subgroups at higher risk for obesity. Placemat Protocol data correlated with parent healthy eating guidance and child obesogenic dietary intake as expected. The Placemat Protocol shows promise for assessing developing healthy-meal schemas before children can fully articulate their knowledge on verbal measures.
AB - Nutrition instruction can lead to more healthful food choices among children, but little is known about preschoolers' healthy-meal schemas because there are few developmentally appropriate measures. This study validated the Placemat Protocol, a novel measure of preschooler healthy-meal schemas using realistic food models to assemble pretend meals. Preschoolers (N = 247, mean age 4 years 8 months) created 2 meals (preferred and healthy), completed measures of verbal nutrition knowledge and vocabulary, and were weighed and measured for BMI. Parents reported healthy eating guidance, child dietary intake, and family demographics. Children used an average of 5.1 energy-dense (ED) and 3.4 nutrient-dense (ND) foods for their preferred meal, but reversed the ratio to 3.1 ED and 5.1 ND foods for their healthy meal. Healthy meals contained fewer estimated kcal, less fat, less sugar, and more fiber than preferred meals. Meal differences held for younger children, children with lower verbal nutrition knowledge and vocabulary, and child subgroups at higher risk for obesity. Placemat Protocol data correlated with parent healthy eating guidance and child obesogenic dietary intake as expected. The Placemat Protocol shows promise for assessing developing healthy-meal schemas before children can fully articulate their knowledge on verbal measures.
KW - Children
KW - Healthy meals
KW - Nutrition perceptions
KW - Obesity
KW - Schemas
KW - Toy foods
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84942614738&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84942614738&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.appet.2015.09.005
DO - 10.1016/j.appet.2015.09.005
M3 - Article
C2 - 26363422
AN - SCOPUS:84942614738
SN - 0195-6663
VL - 96
SP - 209
EP - 218
JO - Appetite
JF - Appetite
ER -