A Nutrition Education Program Focusing on Feelings of Hunger and Fullness for Pre-School Age Children

Abstract

Infants are born with the ability to self-regulate their energy intake by recognizing internal cues of hunger and fullness based on physiological needs. However, as they grow, this ability becomes influenced by external factors such as family food-related habits and environmental factors. In the present obesogenic environment, where numerous external food cues are present, children face significant challenges in responding to their internal sensations of hunger and fullness. Therefore, providing nutrition education aimed at teaching children to recognize and report their internal hunger and fullness cues may help children to reconnect and improve their eating self- regulation. This study aimed to explore how the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-developed nutrition education program affected the recognition and reporting of hunger and fullness cues and related food intake. The study was conducted during snack time among children, 4 to 5 years of age, who attended a childcare center in Blacksburg, VA. The primary outcomes were collected at three time points: baseline (Week 0), post-intervention (Week 3), and follow-up (Week 7). A total of 11 participants from two childcare centers were included. A trend of improved correlation between changes in hunger and fullness ratings before and after snack time and actual food intake was observed. Specifically, at Week 0, the median correlation was negative (-0.258; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: -0.28, 0.77). By Week 3, the median shifted to a positive correlation (0.258; 95% CI: 0.21, 1.0). At Week 7, the positive median correlation remained relatively stable at 0.258 (95% CI: 0.25, 0.94). The findings from this research provide insights that may guide the design and implementation of future rigorous studies by identifying current challenges and opportunities for improvement. Funding: This study was funded by a 4-VA grant