Self-Paced Online Training on Healthy Beverage Policy for Child Care Providers

Danielle L Lee; Abbey Alkon; Kaela Plank; Marisa Neelon; L Karina Díaz Rios; Christina E Hecht; Hannah R Thompson; Lorrene D Ritchie

doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2021.02.007

Self-Paced Online Training on Healthy Beverage Policy for Child Care Providers

J Nutr Educ Behav. 2021 Jun;53(6):457-470. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2021.02.007.

Authors

Danielle L Lee¹, Abbey Alkon², Kaela Plank³, Marisa Neelon⁴, L Karina Díaz Rios⁵, Christina E Hecht³, Hannah R Thompson⁶, Lorrene D Ritchie³

Affiliations

¹ Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Oakland, CA. Electronic address: dnilee@ucanr.edu.
² School of Nursing, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.
³ Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Oakland, CA.
⁴ Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California, Oakland, CA.
⁵ Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California Merced, Merced, CA.
⁶ Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Oakland, CA; School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA.

PMID: 34116741
DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2021.02.007

Abstract

Objective: Determine if online training for child care providers increases knowledge and awareness of and adherence to California's Healthy Beverages in Child Care Act (AB2084) policy.

Design: Cluster, randomized controlled trial with 2 intervention groups and 1 control group.

Setting: Licensed child care centers and family child care homes.

Participants: Child care providers in 3 California regions.

Intervention: Thirty-minute, self-paced online training in English or Spanish, with or without 6-months of ongoing technical assistance.

Main outcomes measured: Providers' self-reported knowledge and awareness of and adherence to AB2084 at baseline, after 1 and 6 months.

Analysis: Generalized estimating equations and generalized linear models, adjusted for the percentage of children on child care subsidies and region.

Results: Outcomes were similar between groups receiving and not receiving technical assistance. Providers receiving training (both intervention groups combined) experienced larger increases in knowledge (P = 0.002 and P = 0.003) and awareness (P = 0.004 and P = 0.001) of AB2084 compared with the control group after 1 and 6 months. All groups reported pre-post increases in adherence to AB2084.

Conclusions and implications: A brief online training supports increased knowledge and awareness of healthy beverage policy among child care providers. The training is available online and is free for California child care providers.

Keywords: beverages; child care; distance; education; preschool.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Beverages
Child
Child Care*
Child Day Care Centers*
Child Health
Health Policy
Humans