University of Kentucky

How Well Are We Educating Children and Young Adults of Kentucky the Importance of Healthy Eating for a Healthy Body?:The Dietary Habits and Nutritional Education Levels of Pre-School Parents at a Community Head Start Program

Presenter Information

Lisa Keys, University of Kentucky

Institution

University of Kentucky

Abstract

The health of America’s youth continues to decline as obesity becomes a major epidemic beginning in childhood. Parents have an exceptional level of influence on their children, especially nutritionally, and this could impact how their children grow and develop. Parents with less nutritional education or those that do not know how, or do not practice, healthy eating habits may unintentionally influence their children in directions that could lead to disease and obesity. This research will evaluate the dietary habits and nutritional knowledge of preschool parents at a community Head Start program in Lexington. The Head Start program being assessed has a high percentage of Hispanic children. The parents will be given a survey evaluating their educational background, ethnicity, and knowledge of healthy eating guidelines. It is hypothesized that the Hispanic parents have a difficult time meeting the U.S. Dietary Guidelines following a traditional Hispanic diet. Therefore, better education needs to be aimed at this growing segment of the Kentucky population to ensure that their children are learning how to eat traditional cuisine while also meeting healthy eating guidelines.

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How Well Are We Educating Children and Young Adults of Kentucky the Importance of Healthy Eating for a Healthy Body?:The Dietary Habits and Nutritional Education Levels of Pre-School Parents at a Community Head Start Program

The health of America’s youth continues to decline as obesity becomes a major epidemic beginning in childhood. Parents have an exceptional level of influence on their children, especially nutritionally, and this could impact how their children grow and develop. Parents with less nutritional education or those that do not know how, or do not practice, healthy eating habits may unintentionally influence their children in directions that could lead to disease and obesity. This research will evaluate the dietary habits and nutritional knowledge of preschool parents at a community Head Start program in Lexington. The Head Start program being assessed has a high percentage of Hispanic children. The parents will be given a survey evaluating their educational background, ethnicity, and knowledge of healthy eating guidelines. It is hypothesized that the Hispanic parents have a difficult time meeting the U.S. Dietary Guidelines following a traditional Hispanic diet. Therefore, better education needs to be aimed at this growing segment of the Kentucky population to ensure that their children are learning how to eat traditional cuisine while also meeting healthy eating guidelines.