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Objective: Approximately 25 % of Canadian children aged 4-8 years fail to meet the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of calcium (Ca). Young children's food choices are primarily determined by their parents. No interventions have directly targeted parents as a medium through which to increase children's Ca consumption. This study compared the effectiveness of a Ca-specific intervention targeted towards parents, with generic dietary advice on the Ca consumption of children aged 4-10 years.Design: A parallel two-arm randomised controlled trial was conducted.Setting: The study was conducted across Canada. Both conditions received information on the RDA of Ca and an index of intake requirements. Material sent to the intervention condition included behavioural strategies to increase dietary Ca consumption, information on the benefits of dietary Ca intake and messages addressing perceived barriers to the consumption of Ca-rich foods.Participants: A total of 239 parents (93 % mothers) of children aged 4-10 years who consumed less than the RDA of Ca were randomly assigned in a 1:1 allocation ratio.Results: There was a significant increase in total Ca intake and Ca from dairy for children at weeks 8, 34 and 52 (P ≤ 0·001) in both conditions. Parental Ca intake and amount spent on dairy products did not significantly increase following the intervention.Conclusions: Provision of daily Ca requirements with regular reminders could impact parents' delivery of Ca-rich foods to their children. This finding is important for public health messaging as it suggests that parents are a potent medium through which to promote Ca intake in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to explore barriers and facilitators of the provision of dairy and plant-based dairy alternatives (PBDA) by parents of preschool-age children, a previously unexplored area of research.Design: Five focus groups of parents were conducted and audio-recorded. Verbatim transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis.Setting: University of Guelph, in Guelph, ON, Canada in 2019.Participants: Thirty-two (n 19 mothers, 13 fathers) parents of preschool-age children. Most (59 %) were university or college educated.Results: Facilitators common to both dairy and PBDA provision included perceived nutritional benefits, such as dairy's Ca, protein and fat content, and PBDA's protein content, and the perception that PBDA adds variety to the diet. Facilitators unique to dairy v. PBDA provision included the taste of, familiarity with, and greater variety and accessibility of dairy products, specifically child-friendly products. A facilitator unique to PBDA v. dairy provision was ethical concerns regarding dairy farming practices. Barriers common to both dairy and PBDA provision included perceived cost, concerns regarding the environmental impact of production, and high sugar content. Barriers specific to dairy included use of antibiotics and hormones in dairy production. A barrier specific to PBDA was the use of pesticides.Conclusion: Behaviour change messages targeting parents of preschoolers can emphasise the nutrition non-equivalence of dairy and some PBDA and can educate parents on sources of affordable, unsweetened dairy and PBDA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Excessive intake of sugar in young children is a public health concern. Our study objectives were to examine intakes of total, free and added sugar among preschool-aged children and to investigate their associations with body weight, body mass index Z-scores, percent fat mass and waist circumference. Methods: The cross-sectional cohort study included preschool-aged children between 1.5 and 5 years of age, enrolled in pilot studies of the Guelph Family Health Study, Guelph, Ontario, from 2014 to 2016. Daily intake of total sugar was determined using a food processor software; daily intakes of free and added sugar, and food sources were determined through manual inspection of 3-day food records. Anthropometric measures were completed by trained research staff. We used linear regression models with generalized estimating equations to estimate associations between sugar intakes and anthropometric measures. Results: We included 109 children (55 girls and 54 boys) in 77 families. Mean daily intakes were 86 (standard deviation [SD] 26) g for total sugar, 31 (SD 15) g for free sugar and 26 (SD 13) g for added sugar. Of participants, 80% (n = 87) had intakes of free sugar greater than 5% of their daily energy intake. The most frequent food sources of free and added sugar were bakery products. A weak inverse association between free sugar intake (kcal/1000 kcal) and waist circumference (cm) (β = −0.02, 95% confidence interval −0.04 to −0.0009) was found, but no significant associations were noted between sugar intake and other anthropometric measures. Interpretation: Most of the preschool-aged children in this study had free sugar intakes greater than current recommendations; overall, their total, free and added sugar intakes were not associated with the anthropometric measures. This study can be used to inform policy development for sugar intake in young children and apprise early intervention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Home-based lifestyle behaviour interventions show promise for treating and preventing childhood obesity. According to family theories, engaging the entire family unit, including parents, to change their family behaviour and dynamics may be necessary to prevent the development of childhood obesity. However, little is known about how these interventions, which may change the family dynamics and weight-related behaviours of parents, affect weight outcomes in parents. Our objective was to examine the effect of a pilot home-based childhood obesity prevention intervention on measures of anthropometrics and body composition in Canadian parents. Methods: Forty-four families with children aged 1.5–5 years were randomized to one of three groups: 4 home visits with a health educator, emails, and mailed incentives (4 HV); 2 home visits, emails, and mailed incentives (2 HV); or general health emails (control). Both the 2 HV and 4 HV intervention were conducted over a period of 6 months. Body composition and anthropometric outcomes were measured at baseline and at 6 months and 18 months from baseline. Results: In parents with baseline body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2, the 2 HV group had significantly lower body mass and waist circumference at 6-month (CI = -5.85,-0.14 kg;-5.82,-0.30 respectively) and 18-month follow-up (CI = -7.57,-1.21 kg;-9.30,-2.50 cm respectively) when compared to control, and significantly lower BMI at 18-month follow-up when compared to control (CI = -2.59,-0.29 kg/m2). In parents with baseline BMI < 25 kg/m2, the 4 HV group had significantly lower percentage fat mass (CI = -3.94,-0.12%), while the 2 HV group had significantly lower body mass (CI = -2.56,-0.42 kg) and BMI (CI = -0.77,-0.08 kg/m2) at 6-month follow-up, both compared to control; these effects were not maintained at 18-month follow-up. Conclusions: This study provides support that a home-based childhood obesity prevention intervention may improve weight outcomes among parents. Future research should explore how home-based interventions influence family behaviour and dynamics to impact weight outcomes in children and their parents. Trial registration: Prospectively registered August 2014, clinical trial identifier NCT02223234. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]