Nutrition Education and Training Needs in Texas. Nutrition Education and Training Needs Assessment for Federal Fiscal Year 1995. Final Annual Report.

A 3-year needs assessment study examined nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and food practices. Subjects were 135 preschool children ages 3-5 years, 610 parents, 118 day care teachers and providers, 35 food service personnel, and 76 administrators throughout Texas. Registered family day care homes, group day care homes, and day care centers from 11 regions were represented in the sample. Data included on-site physical fitness and health assessment, plate waste, food service practice observation, and mailed questionnaires. Major findings include the following: (1) older children were more likely than younger children to achieve the 70 percent acceptable nutrition knowledge level; (2) there were significant ethnic differences in children's nutrition knowledge; (3) children's food choices were affected by family income; (4) between 7-11 percent of the children were obese but 95 percent had average to excellent dental condition; (5) parents' knowledge and food choices were below the 70 percent acceptability level when children were assumed present and absent, whereas teachers and providers made more desirable food choices when children were assumed present but not when they were assumed absent; (6) although food service personnel demonstrated acceptable nutrition knowledge and planned nutritionally adequate menus, implemented menus often did not meet Child Care Food Program guidelines, and adequate food safety procedures were often not followed; and (7) administrators demonstrated an overall knowledge mean which met the level of 70 percent acceptability, and their attitudes toward nutrition were positive. Identified education and training needs for each subject group were listed, and a training plan was developed. (Nine appendices contain instruments used in the study. Contains 27 references.) (KDFB)