Multilevel rural community approach to improve kids’ diet in family childcare homes
Official title: Effectiveness of a Multilevel Rural Community Engagement Model for Improving Childrens Dietary Intake in Family Child Care Homes
Funded at University of Nebraska Lincoln · NIH-11332914 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A large study will test a community-based program in rural family childcare homes to help 3- to 5-year-olds eat healthier and maintain a healthier weight.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Nebraska Lincoln NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lincoln, United States) |
| Project start | September 17, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $582,898 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD115951-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11332914 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are rural children aged 0-5 years enrolled in family childcare homes and their caregivers.
✕Less likely to help
Children in settings not participating in the program or whose families do not engage with the FCCH may see no direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project partners with rural family childcare providers to implement evidence-based feeding practices that support healthy eating and body weight in young children. It uses a multilevel feedback engagement model to boost providers’ use of recommended feeding strategies and to help children recognize hunger and fullness cues. The plan is to conduct a cluster-randomized trial in FCCHs to see if the program improves children’s dietary intake and weight-related measures over several years. The study builds on prior work showing feasibility and acceptability of the approach and aims to provide solid evidence for scalable rural implementation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could improve daily eating patterns and reduce obesity risk for rural children.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary work suggests the approach is feasible and acceptable; this trial tests effectiveness in a real-world setting.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Nebraska Lincoln
Lincoln, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dev, Dipti Ashok — University of Nebraska Lincoln
- Study coordinator: Dev, Dipti Ashok
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.