Child Nutrition

Child Nutrition

Child Nutrition: Food Security and Safety

For additional information on the EAL® related to Health Disparities, click here.

For additional information on the EAL® related to Microwave Home Food Safety, click here.

Assessment
What are effective strategies that have been identified to improve food security among Women, Infants and Children (WIC) populations?
- Conclusion
  14 studies (eight cross-sectional studies, three retrospective cohort studies, one prospective cohort study, one validity study, and one non-randomized controlled trial) evaluated various strategies to determine their effectiveness in improving food security among Women, Infants and Children (WIC) populations with varying socio-economic status, racial/ethnic groups or geographic locations.
  
  Tailoring the intervention to the culture and language of the target population was a key feature of effective programs.
  
  Characteristics of effective interventions included the following:
  
  Methods
  - Addressing poverty-associated food insecurity early in life and eating patterns that stem from childhood food deprivation (may be associated with prevention of adult obesity)
  - Using WIC to provide age-appropriate food and nutritional advice and to improve access to the health care system
  - Actively marketing WIC to eligible families, including families from health disparities populations
  - Participation in the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition program
  - Policy decisions incorporating awareness of food security issues, including the likely impact on child health of sanctioning welfare benefits/food assistance
  - Participation in the Food Stamp Program (FSP)
  - Adding fresh fruits and vegetables to the WIC package
  - Provision of subsidies for fresh fruits and vegetables at grocery stores and Farmers’ Markets
  - Provision of counseling and education to families at risk for food insecurity, including gardening education
  - Collaboration with community-based agencies and organizations in regard to emergency feeding programs and community gardening initiatives
  - Providing nutrition education regarding the importance of dietary variety
  - Focus groups to develop and validate tools to measure and describe food insecurity
  - Advocacy for improvement of local employment and job availability
  - Psychological counseling to address psychological issues associated with food insecurity.
  Providers
  - WIC program staff
  - Head Start staff
  - Trained bilingual focus group moderators.
  Frequency and Duration
  
  A variety of frequencies and duration were effective, including one-time encounters and ongoing interventions lasting six months.
  
  Settings
  - FSP offices
  - WIC clinics
  - Schools located in low-income areas
  - Community programs serving low-income families and individuals
  - WIC Program offices
  - Farmers’ Markets
  - Hospitals
  - Health Clinics
  - Pediatric Care clinics
  - Community schools
  - Food banks
  - Early intervention programs
  - Head Start programs.
- Grade: I
  - Grade I means there is Good/Strong evidence supporting the statement;
  - Grade II is Fair;
  - Grade III is Limited/Weak;
  - Grade IV is Expert Opinion Only;
  - Grade V is Not Assignable.
  - High (A) means we are very confident that the true effect lies close to that of the estimate of the effect;
  - Moderate (B) means we are moderately confident in the effect estimate;
  - Low (C) means our confidence in the effect estimate is limited;
  - Very Low (D) means we have very little confidence in the effect estimate.
  - Ungraded means a grade is not assignable.
What are the food safety behaviors of children and adolescents related to microwave cooking?
- Conclusion
  Based on three important food safety behaviors specifically related to microwave cooking of Temperature Control for Safety (TCS)/Potentially Hazardous Foods (PHF):
  - Follow microwave cooking instructions on product packaging (including any adjustments for microwave wattage)
  - Use a food thermometer to measure the final temperature of the product
  - Cook foods to their recommended safe internal temperatures.
  No research was identified regarding these food safety behaviors related to microwave cooking. Further research is needed regarding microwaved food safety behaviors of children and adolescents.
- Grade: III
  - Grade I means there is Good/Strong evidence supporting the statement;
  - Grade II is Fair;
  - Grade III is Limited/Weak;
  - Grade IV is Expert Opinion Only;
  - Grade V is Not Assignable.
  - High (A) means we are very confident that the true effect lies close to that of the estimate of the effect;
  - Moderate (B) means we are moderately confident in the effect estimate;
  - Low (C) means our confidence in the effect estimate is limited;
  - Very Low (D) means we have very little confidence in the effect estimate.
  - Ungraded means a grade is not assignable.