TY - JOUR

T1 - Parental perception of lunch schemes in Danish kindergartens

T2 - A cross-sectional survey

AU - Mikkelsen, Mette V.

AU - Mikkelsen, Bent E.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2016 Taylor & Francis.

PY - 2017/10/20

Y1 - 2017/10/20

N2 - Children’s daily consumption of food in childcare institutions has an impact on their public health nutritional status. The collaboration of parents and employees of kindergartens is important to ensure healthy eating habits among the next generation. Consequently, evaluations of lunch schemes are important to provide a good foundation for enhancing communication between home and institutional settings. The aim of this article is to assess parental satisfaction and identify themes related to parental perceptions of lunch schemes in Danish kindergartens. A survey was developed and distributed in four kindergartens with lunch schemes. A combination of closed and open questions were used to evaluate satisfaction and identify positive and negative aspects of the lunch schemes. Parents of 93 children participated in the study and the response rate was 55%. Eighty-nine percent expressed satisfaction with their children’s lunch scheme. According to parents, the most positive aspects were that lunch schemes serve a variety of food, their ability to prevent neophobia, that children learn that eating is a social occasion, and that the arrangements offer convenience to parents. The negative aspects identified were the lack of communication between the kindergarten childcare institutions and the parents regarding the food. Overall, parents are very satisfied with their children’s lunch schemes; however, the information between institutions and parents could be improved.

AB - Children’s daily consumption of food in childcare institutions has an impact on their public health nutritional status. The collaboration of parents and employees of kindergartens is important to ensure healthy eating habits among the next generation. Consequently, evaluations of lunch schemes are important to provide a good foundation for enhancing communication between home and institutional settings. The aim of this article is to assess parental satisfaction and identify themes related to parental perceptions of lunch schemes in Danish kindergartens. A survey was developed and distributed in four kindergartens with lunch schemes. A combination of closed and open questions were used to evaluate satisfaction and identify positive and negative aspects of the lunch schemes. Parents of 93 children participated in the study and the response rate was 55%. Eighty-nine percent expressed satisfaction with their children’s lunch scheme. According to parents, the most positive aspects were that lunch schemes serve a variety of food, their ability to prevent neophobia, that children learn that eating is a social occasion, and that the arrangements offer convenience to parents. The negative aspects identified were the lack of communication between the kindergarten childcare institutions and the parents regarding the food. Overall, parents are very satisfied with their children’s lunch schemes; however, the information between institutions and parents could be improved.

KW - Childcare

KW - children

KW - kindergarten

KW - lunch

KW - meals

KW - obesity

KW - parents

KW - preschool

KW - provision of food

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84984871089&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/15378020.2016.1219184

DO - 10.1080/15378020.2016.1219184

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:84984871089

VL - 20

SP - 512

EP - 524

JO - Journal of Foodservice Business Research

JF - Journal of Foodservice Business Research

SN - 1537-8020

IS - 5

ER -