11:709:323 Nutrition for the Child in the Family and Community
Fall 2004
Tuesdays 5th period (2:50-4:10), Room 122, Davison Hall

Instructors:
Mrs. Harriet Worobey, 209 & 36 Davison Hall, 732/932-8895, harrietw@rci.rutgers.edu Office hours: Tuesdays, 9:30-11:00 and by arrangement
Dr. John Worobey, 208 Davison Hall, 732/932-6517, worobey@rci.rutgers.edu
Office hours: Tuesdays, 1-2, Fridays 1-2, and by arrangement

Course description:
Development of eating habits and energy intake patterns of young children in the context of family factors and community outreach.

Readings:
Packets of the assigned readings will be available for purchase from the department secretary in Room 220, Davison Hall. Price will be based solely on paper/duplicating cost. All readings should be completed in advance of their assigned date, so that they may be discussed during the relevant class meeting.

Course Objectives:
1. to understand the role of the preschool as a laboratory for nutrition education
2. to understand the interaction between child development and nutrition
3. to integrate food and nutrition concepts into the learning environment
4. to evaluate the role of parents in raising healthy eaters and in preschool programs
5. to identify and evaluate social programs in the realm of nutrition
6. to evaluate the role of the media on children and consumers

Course Outline
Week 1 Orientation for the preschool; course overview

Week 2 Preschools as laboratories for nutrition education
Reading: Nursery schools and day care centers: Laboratories for nutrition
education. In M. McWilliams (1993), Nutrition for the growing years
pp. 223-250, Redondo Beach, CA: Plycon Press.

Week 3 Preschool development and nutrition
Reading: From three to six years. In E.M. Ward (2002), Healthy foods,
healthy kids, pp. 119-134, Avon, MA: Adams Media Corp.

Week 4 Nutrition and the schools: Breakfast and lunch programs
Reading: The impact of a two-year school breakfast program for
preschool-aged children on their nutrient intake and pre-academic performance. J. Worobey & H.S. Worobey (1999), Child Study Journal, 29, pp. 113-131.
Week 5 Social programs: WIC, FSNEP, Head Start
Reading: Community food and nutrition programs. M.T. Baer (1999). In
D.B. Kessler & P. Dawson, Failure to thrive and pediatric undernutrition: A transdisciplinary approach, pp. 351-373. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
Assignment: Group oral reports on social programs

Week 6 Preschool nutrition education
Reading: Nutrition education concepts and activities. In Marotz, L.R., Corss, M.Z., & Rush, J.M. (2005). Health, safety, and nutrition for the young child, pp. 488-498, Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning.
Assignment: Lesson plan for nutrition education circle time

Week 7 Parental styles/maternal control
Reading: Learning to overeat: Maternal use of restrictive feeding practices
promotes girls’ eating in the absence of hunger. L.L. Birch, J.O. Fisher &
K.K. Davison (2003), American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 78,
pp. 215-220.

Week 8 Mid-term exam; instructions for case study

Week 9 Parents and culture in the preschool nutrition program
Reading: Cultural issues in provider-parent relationships. Sturm, L. & Gahagan, S. (1999). In D.B. Kessler & P. Dawson, Failure to thrive and pediatric undernutrition: A transdisciplinary approach, pp. 351-373. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
Assignment: Prepare questions for parent panel

Week 10 Parent panel

Week 11 Home-to-school nutrition relationships
Reading: What you can do outside your home. In M.F. Jacobson & B. Maxwell (1994), What are we feeding our kids?, pp. 250-272. New York: Workman Publishing Co.

Week 12 Creation of parent nutrition education newsletter

Week 13 Consumer awareness and label reading

Week 14 Media, commercials, and the toxic food environment
Reading: A quarter century of TV food advertising targeted at children.
M. Gamble & N. Cotugna (1999), American Journal of Health
Behavior, 23, pp. 261-267.

Course requirements and evaluation:

All assignments are expected to be on time. If you have a problem, you must notify one of the instructors prior to the due date.

Attendance: Students are required to attend both lecture and laboratory each week. Attendance and participation in Tuesday lecture class will count. (10 points)

Participation in the laboratory: Each student will demonstrate appropriate interaction and application of child development principles in the preschool and show responsibility in attendance. (40 points)

Midterm exam: (50 points)

Journal of child behavior and family case study: Each student will be assigned one child to record classroom social and eating behavior. The journal and case study analysis will be due the last week of class. (35 points)

Parent panel questions: Each student will submit questions to be asked of a parent panel. (5 points)

Curriculum project: Each student will design and implement a curriculum project to teach a nutrition concept in the classroom. (30 points)

Nutrition education newsletter: Together with the group, each student will help prepare a nutrition education newsletter for parents in the preschool. (15 points)

Oral report: Together with a small group, each student will present an oral report on a social program from the reading assignment. (15 points)

10 points will be deducted from a student’s total if s/he does not turn in a doctor’s form showing a negative Mantoux test. Deadline: October 5 (5 points will be deducted for turning the test results in late.)

Total possible points: 200

Grade scale:
184-200 A
172-183 B+
160-171 B
152-159 C+
140-151 C
120-139 D
0-119 F