Making preschool and daycare mealtimes healthier for young children
Official title: Deimplementation of Inappropriate Feeding Practices in Early Care andEducation Settings
Funded at Arkansas Children's Hospital Res Inst · NIH-11370622 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A program to help preschool and daycare staff stop common feeding habits that can harm 3- to 5-year-olds' eating and weight.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Arkansas Children's Hospital Res Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Little Rock, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $611,659 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK138153-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11370622 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children ages 3 to 5 who attend participating early care and education centers (and their families) are the ideal participants.
✕Less likely to help
Children not enrolled in the participating centers, or those outside the 3–5 year age range, are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
This project works with about 88 preschools and daycare sites that serve 3- and 5-year-old children. It delivers a package of strategies to stop feeding practices that are not supported by evidence and compares those sites to centers keeping usual routines. Researchers will observe meals to count how often inappropriate feeding practices occur and will study how the strategies lead to change and which children or centers benefit most. The goal is to find practical ways for early care settings to build a strong foundation for healthy lifelong eating habits.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, children could have healthier mealtime interactions that support better growth and long-term eating habits.
How similar studies have gone: Previous programs that trained caregivers in evidence-based feeding practices have shown improvements, but applying a formal deimplementation package across many centers is a newer approach with less established evidence.
Where this research is happening
-
Arkansas Children's Hospital Res Inst
Little Rock, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Swindle, Taren — Arkansas Children's Hospital Res Inst
- Study coordinator: Swindle, Taren
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.