Preschool Teachers’ Perspectives of Feeding Young Children on Mealtimes

Background

Most child feeding studies are conducted in the United States; there is a need to learn more about the mealtime practices across the globe due to the increasingly diverse populations in preschool classrooms.

Objective

This study aimed to 1) explore preschool teachers’ perceptions of mealtime practices within diverse sociocultural contexts and 2) determine whether these perspectives varied based on individual (i.e., education, working experiences) and program characteristics (e.g., public or private sectors) in the U.S. and China.

Study Design, Settings, Participants

A total of 218 preschool teachers completed a demographic survey and a mealtime questionnaire. The questionnaire was developed based on the Building Mealtime Environments and Relationships inventory (BMER) to identify practices at mealtimes to support child development and nutrition.

Measurable Outcome/Analysis

Descriptive statistics were calculated for the groups of preschool teachers. Independent t-tests were performed to determine if there were any statistical differences between the views on mealtime practices of preschool teachers from two different groups/countries. Additionally, one-way ANOVA was used to examine whether certain variables (e.g., educational background, types of early childhood programs, years of work experiences) were associated with participants’ responses to the mealtime practices.

Results

There were statistical significances (p < .001) found in one-third of all statements. Chinese preschool teachers rated statements in food intake area higher than US teachers did. US teachers rated higher than Chinese teachers in the social interaction area. We also found no significant differences in individual characteristics associated with teachers' perspectives regardless of geographic location (the U.S. or China). Similarly, preschool teachers shared comparable perspectives on mealtime practices across different program types (e.g., HS, private, or public) and regardless of whether they had received nutrition-related training with only two exceptions.

Conclusions

While culture is often regarded a significant factor contributing to individuals’ perspectives and behaviors, our study highlights the differences between preschool teachers' practices arising specifically from the policies and recommended practices set by the governing boards or educational institutions.

Funding

None