VOLUME 8: NO. 5, A113 SEPTEMBER 2011 Child Care Provider Training and a Supportive Feeding Environment in Child Care Settings in 4 States, 2003 ORIGINAL RESEARCH Suggested citation for this article: Sigman-Grant M, Christiansen E, Fernandez G, Fletcher J, Johnson SL, Branen L, Price BA. Child care provider training and a supportive feeding environment in child care settings in 4 states, 2003. Prev Chronic Dis 2011;8(5):A113. http://www. cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2011/sep/10_0224.htm. Accessed [date]. PEER REVIEWED Abstract Introduction Strategies to prevent adult chronic diseases, including obesity, must start in childhood. Because many preschool- aged children spend mealtimes in child care facilities, staff should be taught supportive feeding practices for childhood obesity prevention. Higher obesity rates among low-income children suggest that centers providing care to these children require special attention. We compared self-reported feeding practices at child care centers serving low-income children on the basis of whether they received funding and support from the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), which suggests supportive feeding practices. We also assessed training factors that could account for differences among centers. Methods Eligible licensed child care centers (n = 1600) from California, Colorado, Idaho, and Nevada received surveys. Of the 568 responding centers, 203 enrolled low-income families and served meals. We analyzed the responses of 93 directors and 278 staff for CACFP-funded centers and 110 directors and 289 staff from nonfunded centers. Chi square analyses, pairwise comparisons, t tests, and multiple linear regressions were used to compare CACFP- funded and nonfunded centers. Results Significant differences were noted in 10 of 26 feeding prac- tices between CACFP-funded and nonfunded centers. In each case, CACFP-funded centers reported practices more consistent with a supportive feeding environment. Forty- one percent of the variance could be explained by training factors, including who was trained, the credentials of those providing training, and the type of training. Conclusion Our findings suggest that when trained by nutrition pro- fessionals, child care staff learn, adopt, and operationalize childhood obesity prevention feeding guidelines, thereby creating a supportive mealtime feeding environment. Introduction Strategies to encourage healthy eating and active living are needed to prevent childhood obesity (1). Although the family is primarily responsible for the health habits of chil- dren aged 2 to 5, many preschool-aged children (includ- ing those from low-income families) spend a substantial amount of time in child care facilities, making these set- tings appropriate for initiating obesity prevention prac- tices (2-6). Best practices include creating a supportive mealtime environment that allows children control over their food intake in response to internal cues (1,7,8) and implementing Satter’s Division of Feeding Responsibility (9,10). Satter’s widely accepted concept postulates a dis- tribution of feeding and eating roles between child and adult. Adult caregivers are responsible for selecting, Madeleine Sigman-Grant, PhD, RD; Elizabeth Christiansen, PhD; George Fernandez, PhD; Janice Fletcher, EdD; Susan L. Johnson, PhD; Laurel Branen, PhD, RD; Beth A. Price, PhD www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2011/sep/10_0224.htm • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1 The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.