Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior Various

Interview: Noelene K. Jeffers, PhD, CNM, IBCLC, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, highlights the need for inclusive care to support and educate parents with intellectual and developmental disabilities with infant feeding through WIC. Dr. Jeffers discusses a new study that found that WIC can address disparities by offering inclusive and accessible support and counseling. Formally educating and training WIC staff to offer care that is respectful and responsive to the needs of disabled parents is crucial.

Interview: A survey of close to 500 US firefighters collected qualitative and quantitative data on their cancer history and perceptions of nutrition's role in cancer prevention. Led by Ashlea Braun, PhD, RD, TSET Health Promotion Research Center, Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, the study showed that firefighters want individualized support to address their specific risks and help implement changes with the most significant potential to lower that risk.

Interview: A survey of 1,110 parents, guardians and caregivers led by Monica D. Zuercher, PhD, MS, Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, found that more positive parental perceptions about school meals and their benefits to families were associated with greater student meal participation. Working to ensure parents are familiar with the healthfulness and quality of school meals and the efforts schools are making to provide high-quality, appealing meals may be critical for increasing school meal participation rates.

Interview: Suzanna M. Martinez, PhD, MS, University of California San Francisco, highlights a new study that illustrates how challenging SNAP rules are for college students and those involved in their implementation. The research supports simplifying the student SNAP process to increase participation for eligible students, especially for historically minoritized racial and ethnic groups and low-income students for whom equitable access to SNAP benefits is critical.

Interview: How can parents and kids work together to reduce household food waste? Amar Laila, PhD, University of Guelph, discusses the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of a new pilot study of Weeknight Supper Savers, a whole-family food literacy intervention that teaches how to prepare, store, and eat leftovers. The tool successfully encouraged families to prepare meals together and reduced food waste.

Interview: Christine St. Pierre, MPH, RD, presents the results of a new study to determine the impact on dietary behaviors on current and former elementary school students who participated in FRESHFARM FoodPrints’ school-based gardening and food education classes over the past 15 years. Analysis revealed how this early learning positively influenced food decisions as children grew older, extending into adulthood.