Childcare providers' perceptions of food and mealtimes: A qualitative approach

Abstract

This thesis research sought to explore childcare providers' perceptions of nutrition in childcare settings. Drawing upon a social ecological understanding of behaviour, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 providers. Written in a two article format, the first article details factors providers perceived as influencing their decisions regarding food and mealtimes for childcare settings; the second article focuses on strategies providers perceived to encourage healthy eating and their reasons for use of these strategies. Providers described being influenced by a range of factors, not receiving pertinent support for assisting healthy nutritional development in childcare settings, and being focused on short-term objectives rather than long-term healthy nutritional development. These results encourage further research into understanding the interconnections between the different influences and developing nutritional materials better suited to providers' needs. Gaining an increased understanding of factors influencing childcare providers' decisions regarding nutrition is vital to encouraging healthy nutritional behaviour development in children.