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Completed

NCT Number: NCT05745376

Addressing Disparities in Food Access Among Young Children in Louisiana: A Farm to ECE Approach

The goal of this pilot project is to increase access to healthy food, improve diets, and reduce food insecurity and, in turn, reduce health disparities among low-income, minority children under the age of five attending early childcare centers. Specific aims are to: 1) examine the feasibility of a six-month Farm to ECE intervention and 2) collect preliminary data to evaluate the efficacy of the program to 2.1) improve the ECE nutrition environment from baseline to follow-up; 2.2) increase access to local fruits and vegetables among children at ECEs from baseline to follow-up; and 2.3) increase parent knowledge and use of community food resources. The investigators will use this preliminary data to develop a larger scale project to test intervention efficacy.

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Key information

Conditions

Food Insecurity Behavior Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Nutrition, Healthy

Age range

18 year–99 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Xavier University Of Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana, 70125, United States

About this study

The pilot study will take place at four centers within a network of Catholic Charities Early Head Start and Head Start Centers in New Orleans, Louisiana. Two centers will serve as intervention sites and two as comparison sites. Over 90% of the network centers' students identify as Black, and all qualify for federally funded free meals and snacks. The intervention will include: (1) assisting ECEs with conducting self-assessments; (2) connecting ECEs with local farmers and food producers; (3) providing technical assistance for menu changes, procuring healthy food, identifying and implementing best feeding practices and policies for the environment; (4) delivering nutrition education; and (5) connecting parents/guardians with local food resources and affordable fresh food to be consumed at home. The intervention will be implemented for 6 months.

Aim 1 uses a cross-sectional mixed methods design, collecting both quantitative and qualitative data in intervention centers. Aim 2 uses a pre-post design with a comparison group, collecting quantitative survey data at the center and parent level. At baseline and six-month follow-up, the investigators will conduct short surveys with staff and parents/caregivers of children attending ECEs.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

(Key informant interviews and center assessments):

  • Director or staff of participating center
  • 18 years of age minimum

Exclusion criteria

(Key informant interviews and center assessments):

  • Staff not involved with educational programming

Inclusion criteria

(Parent/guardian surveys):

  • Parent or guardian of current student at participating center
  • 18 years of age minimum

Exclusion criteria

(Parent/guardian surveys):

  • None

Treatment and study plan

Farm to ECE programming

Behavioral

Students and parents at this center will receive program elements described in arm descriptions.

Primary outcomes

  1. incidence of parent/guardian use of community food resources

    Time frame: 6 months

    Parent/guardian surveys will ask questions about use of community food resources. Frequencies will be calculated based on results.

  2. nutrition environment score measured by NAPSACC

    Time frame: 6 months

    Environmental assessments and pre/post staff surveys using validated tools (Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care NAPSACC) will be used to determine changes in the nutrition environment and healthy options. Nutrition environment scores will be calculated using the tool scoring guide.

  3. percent completion of program components (fidelity)

    Time frame: 6 months

    Staff will be asked to complete tracking records of all executed program components. Percent completion will be calculated by dividing program components executed by total program components.

  4. satisfaction score with program implementation

    Time frame: 6 months

    Staff will be asked to complete a post intervention survey to indicate their satisfaction (scale of 1-5) with the program implementation and its components.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Xavier University of Louisiana.

Other

Registry information

Acronym: FarmtoECE

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2024
First posted
Feb 27, 2023
Registry last updated
Aug 14, 2024

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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