Attitudes, Concerns, and Likelihood for Action Related to Young Children's Overweight Among Early Childhood Program Staff

For obesity prevention planning in early childhood programs, attitudes and actions of staff related to communicating with parents about young children's eating and weight need to be assessed. Early childhood program teachers (n = 271) working with children aged 3 to 5 years were surveyed by mail. Factor analysis provided patterns of response for multi-item questions. Respondents reported different levels of agreement and comfort regarding communicating concerns to parents about their child's weight and eating versus observations about the child's daily eating. Feelings about parent communication varied (worried, hesitant, responsible, and willing). Findings suggest opportunities for communication between program staff and parents.