Researchers are testing whether monthly home visits from health workers can help young children eat healthier foods. The Strong Families Start at Home program sends trained community health workers to families’ homes to teach parents better feeding practices and cook healthy meals together. In a smaller pilot study, children who participated ate more whole fruits and had better overall diet quality. Now researchers are expanding the study to include 257 families with children ages 2-5, mostly from Hispanic/Latino communities, to see if this approach really works for improving kids’ eating habits long-term.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether monthly home visits from health workers can improve how well young children eat and help parents develop better feeding practices
  • Who participated: 257 families with children ages 2-5, mostly from Hispanic/Latino communities in the United States
  • Key finding: This is an ongoing study, but a smaller pilot version showed children ate more whole fruits and had better overall diet quality after 6 months
  • What it means for you: If you have young children, working with a nutrition educator in your home might be more effective than traditional nutrition advice given in clinics or classrooms

The Research Details

This study randomly assigns families to one of two groups. Half get the nutrition program where a community health worker visits their home monthly for 6 months to teach healthy eating and cooking. The other half gets a similar program focused on reading skills instead of nutrition, which helps researchers know if any improvements are really due to the nutrition education. The health workers use motivational interviewing, which means they help families set their own goals rather than just giving advice. They also tailor their teaching based on each child’s eating personality and habits.

Home-based programs may work better than clinic visits because families can practice new skills in their own kitchen with their own food. The researchers also include cooking activities and review videos of family meals to give personalized feedback, which makes the learning more hands-on and relevant.

This is a well-designed study because it compares the nutrition program to an active control group (reading program) rather than doing nothing. The researchers measure diet quality using detailed food diaries and a skin test that shows how many fruits and vegetables kids actually eat, which is more accurate than just asking parents what their children ate.

What the Results Show

The full study results aren’t available yet since data analysis won’t finish until 2028. However, the pilot study with fewer families showed promising results. Children in the nutrition program improved their overall diet quality scores and ate significantly more whole fruits compared to children who didn’t get the program. Parents also reported better feeding practices, though the specific details weren’t provided in this protocol paper.

The pilot study found that families liked the program and stuck with it, which suggests it’s practical and acceptable to families. The researchers are also measuring whether families keep more healthy foods at home and whether parents’ attitudes about feeding change, but these results aren’t available yet.

Most nutrition programs for young children happen in schools or clinics, but this home-based approach is less common. The focus on Hispanic/Latino families is important because children in these communities often have higher rates of diet-related health problems, but fewer nutrition programs are designed specifically for their cultural needs.

Since this is still an ongoing study, we don’t know the final results yet. The pilot study was small, so the larger study will give us more reliable information. Also, the families know they’re getting nutrition education, which might make them try harder to eat well even without the program’s help.

The Bottom Line

Based on the pilot results, parents of young children might benefit from hands-on nutrition education in their own homes, especially if it includes cooking together and personalized feedback. However, we should wait for the full study results before making strong recommendations about this specific program.

Parents and caregivers of children ages 2-5 who want to improve their family’s eating habits should pay attention to these results. Healthcare providers and community organizations serving Hispanic/Latino families may also find this approach useful.

The pilot study showed improvements after 6 months of monthly visits. The full study results will be available in 2028, which will give us better information about long-term benefits.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track your child’s daily fruit and vegetable servings, aiming for the age-appropriate recommendations (2-3 servings of each for young children)
  • Try cooking one new healthy recipe with your child each week, letting them help with age-appropriate tasks like washing vegetables or stirring ingredients
  • Log family meal times and note your child’s willingness to try new foods, tracking improvements in their openness to healthy options over several months

This research is still ongoing and results are preliminary. Always consult with your child’s pediatrician before making significant changes to their diet or if you have concerns about their eating habits or growth.