A recent paper from DFPM RED (currently In Press) looks at the value of verbal feeding communications, or, “Table Talk” as a possible influencing
factor in children’s diets. The purpose of the paper is to present the development of the Table Talk observational tool to measure Early Care and Education Teachers (ECETs) verbal feeding communications.
The research introduces an observational tool to assess verbal communications at mealtime among 75 Head Start educators. The study evaluated both positive and supportive comments such as “Exploring Foods” as well as negative comments such as “Pressuring to Eat”. The study concluded that “Table Talk” may be a useful tool to assess ECETs’ verbal feeding communications with potential applications such as informing ECET training and assessing intervention efforts.
Swindle, T., Rutledge, J., Dix, B. & Whiteside-Mansell, L. (in press). Table Talk: Development of an Observational Tool to Characterize the Early Childcare Feeding Environment. Public Health Nutrition.