Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status and Feeding Practices in Finnish preschools

Area of Science:

• Child Nutrition
• Early Childhood Education
• Public Health

Background:

• Recommended preschool feeding practices include role modeling healthy eating and encouragement.
• The association between preschool characteristics and feeding practices is not well understood.
• Socioeconomic status (SES) of the preschool neighborhood may influence feeding practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between preschool neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) and feeding practices.
• To determine if SES influences the implementation of recommended feeding strategies in preschools.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 66 municipal preschools and 378 early childhood educators (ECEs).
• Preschool neighborhood SES assessed using map grid data.
• Feeding practices evaluated through questionnaires and direct lunchtime observation.
• Logistic regression analyses adjusted for ECE educational level and municipal policies.

Main Results:

• Higher SES neighborhood preschools showed increased likelihood of ECEs eating with children (OR 2.46) and using food rewards for vegetable consumption (OR 2.48).
• Preschools in high-SES neighborhoods were less likely to provide non-standard birthday foods (OR 0.29).
• After adjustment, food rewards remained significantly associated with neighborhood SES (OR 2.13).

Conclusions:

• Preschool neighborhood socioeconomic status is associated with specific feeding practices.
• Higher SES neighborhoods may exhibit different approaches to food rewards and birthday treats.
• Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms linking SES and preschool feeding environments.