Kids EAT!
Kids EAT! is a mixed-methods study that seeks to deepen our understanding of the types of food-related parenting practices used by racially/ethnically and socioeconomically diverse parents of young children and the impact that these feeding practices have on children's eating behaviors and weight outcomes. This project will begin with in-depth interviews to identify a broad scope of food-related parenting practices and the momentary factors that influence them. Parent responses will then inform the development - and adaptation of measures for use within an Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) protocol. Finally, an EMA study will explore within- and between-parent fluctuations in food-related parenting practices and will identify momentary influences on parents' use of food-related parenting practices. Knowledge gained and data collected from the proposed research will improve our understanding of the use and impact of food-related parenting practices on weight-related outcomes in children. Findings will be useful for parents and primary and primary care providers as they seek to improve the dietary intake and eating behaviors of the children in their care.
Publications
2023
Loth KA, Huang Z, Wolfson J, Neumark-Sztainer D, Fisher J, Fulkerson JA, Berge JM. Leveraging ecological momentary assessment to understand variability in food parenting practices within a low-income racially/ethnically diverse sample of parents of preschoolers. Appetite. 2023 Sep; 188: 106635
Loth KA, Ji Z, Wolfson J, Fisher J, Berge JM, Neumark-Sztainer D. Momentary predictors of a broad range of food parenting practices within a population-based sample of parents of preschool children. Frontiers in Public Health, 2023 Jan; 10: 944734
Loth KA, Hersch D, Trofholz A, Harnack L, Norderud K. Impacts of COVID-19 on the home food environment and eating related behaviors of families with young children based on food security status. Appetite, 2023 Jan; 180: 106345
2022
Loth KA, Ji Z, Wolfson J, Neumark-Sztainer D, Berge J, Fisher J. A descriptive assessment of a broad range of food-related parenting practices in a diverse cohort of parents of preschoolers using real-time assessment. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 2022 Mar; 19 (1): 22
Loth KA, Ji Z, Wolfson J, Berge JM, Neumark-Sztainer D, Fisher JO. COVID-19 pandemic shifts in food-related parenting practices within an ethincally/racially and socioeconomically diverse sample of families of preschool-aged children. Appetite, 2022 Jan; 168: 105714.
Arlinghaus K, Hersch D, Neumark-Sztainer D, Loth KA. Experiences with public health recommendations for COVID-19: A qualitative study of diverse mothers with young children in the United States. Journal of Communication in Healthcare, 2022 Feb; 15 (1): 64-73
Trofholz A, Hersch D, Norderud K, Berge J, Loth KA. Changes to the home food environment and parent feeding practices during the COVID-10 pandemic. Appetite, 2022 Feb; 169:105806
2019
2018
Funding
- NIH NICHD (NIH5K23HD090324)
- University of Minnesota CTSI-Ed K-R01 Transition to Independence Grant
Exploring the momentary mechanisms of a broad range of food-related parenting practices among racially/ethnically and socioeconomically diverse parent-child dyads - University of Minnesota (UMN) Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), Children’s Minnesota, and the UMN Department of Pediatrics
Working Together, From a Distance: A qualitative exploration into how to best tailor our public health to support families during the COVID-19 pandemic - University of Minnesota COVID-19 Rapid Response Grant
Minnesota Families: Understanding how to best tailor our public health responses to support families during COVID-19
Principal Investigator
Katie Loth, PhD, MPH
Experts@Minnesota Profile
Mentors
Jerica Berge, PhD, MPH, LMFT, CFLE
University of Minnesota
Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, PhD, MPH
University of Minnesota
James Hodges, PhD
University of Minnesota
Jenn Fischer, RD, LD
Temple University
Ross Crosby, PhD
Sanford Health Research