Beschreibung:
<jats:sec><jats:title>Introduction</jats:title><jats:p>Previous research has shown that through the complex network of factors, it is necessary to identify determinants that influence healthy food consumption patterns in preschool‐aged children (3–5 years old). The family food environment, including parental consumption and availability, has been shown to be a strong indicator of child's food preference.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Objective</jats:title><jats:p>The primary objective of this study is to provide cross sectional information on specific foods in preschool participants' (3–5 years old) households using a validated home food inventory survey, and to explore if the foods in the home are representative of parental diets.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>Children from 13 low‐income childcare centers in East Tennessee participated in a 12‐week physical activity and nutrition program, which included a parent education portion. Parents (n =35) submitted baseline questionnaires (demographics, socioeconomic characteristics, shopping habits, food security), food‐frequency questionnaires and 108‐item home food inventory surveys at two points of time during the program.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>Complete data were collected from 35 parents (32.34 ± 9.4). 41.6% received food assistance (n=10, no data for n=11) and 45.7% of parents reported household income less than $50,000 (n=16). This predefined inventory assessed a broad range of food groups to capture the variation of all items in a household. Several “healthy” and “unhealthy” products were flagged for variable availability, including low fat sour cream, 2% milk, potatoes and corn, and higher fat condiments. Preliminary data suggest that home food inventory surveys are representative of parental consumption reported on food frequency questionnaires.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion</jats:title><jats:p>This study contributes to research on home food availability by identifying the presence of a wide range of food items in the homes of preschool children at two points in time. It also suggests that household food inventories are a practical approach to understanding foods available for consumption in the home as it relates to dietary behaviors.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Support or Funding Information</jats:bold></jats:p><jats:p>Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation and East Tennessee Children's Hospital Foundation</jats:p></jats:sec>