Happy Family, Healthy Kids: A Healthy Eating and Stress Management Program in Low-Income Parent-Preschooler Dyads.

Abstract

Background: Substantial effort has been invested to combat childhood obesity, but overall effects are disappointing, especially in low-income racial minority children. One possible reason is a lack of focus on the important stress-eating connection. Stress can negatively influence eating behaviors, leading to an increased appetite for high-fat and energy-dense foods.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the preliminary effects of a healthy eating and stress management program targeting multiple theoretical variables on improving eating behavior (dyads' fruit/vegetable intake, emotional eating), food insecurity, anthropometric characteristics (dyads' body mass index, % body fat), cardiovascular health (dyads' blood pressure), and mental well-being (parental stress).

Methods: A one-group, quasi-experimental pilot study was conducted among 107 low-income parent-preschooler dyads. The 14-week program included a parent component, a parent-preschooler learning component, and a day care-based preschooler component.

Results: The program had positive effects on improving dyads' fruit/vegetable intake, food insecurity, body mass index, and blood pressure and parents' nutrition knowledge, self-efficacy, support, food resource management behavior, problem-focused coping, and home eating environment. The overall satisfaction rate was 95.2%, and 88.1% stated that the program assisted their families with having a healthy lifestyle.

Discussion: Results support the preliminary effects of the program on improving health outcomes in rural and urban low-income families. Although warranting further investigation with a more rigorous randomized controlled trial, the healthy eating and stress management program provides a potential solution to the current coexistence of an obesity epidemic and mental health crisis.