Unit 3 Assessment - Source Comparison
Charles Collantes
Herzing University
Information Literacy (EN111-8L), 2023 Fall B18
Christopher Code
November 19, 2023
Part 1: Article 9 Lessons I've Learned About Feeding Kids
1. Who do you believe is the intended audience for this article? (Tip: Refer to the
section of the unit 3 learning map titled “Identifying the Right Resource for the
Task” to review a full explanation of information sources and their intended
audiences.)
This post targets parents, especially young ones. Jill Castle, a kid nutrition and feeding
specialist, writes about her experiences as a mom and pediatric dietitian. The essay offers
practical suggestions and lessons from the author's experience on feeding youngsters. Article
wording and tone are aimed at parents who actively choose food for their children.
2. What is the purpose of this article?
From the author's personal and professional experience, this article shares feeding tips for
youngsters. To help parents raise healthy eaters, Jill Castle shares crucial ideas and practices.
Contrary to popular belief, the essay stresses the necessity of balanced and adaptable nutrition
for children. It helps parents manage the problems of parenting healthy, well-nourished children.
3. Briefly summarize the article by describing the main points used by the author.
Simplifying meals can help finicky eaters, according to the author. Including known, loved foods
alongside new ones helps kids feel confident and comfortable during mealtime.
Food Balance: Castle recommends a diet with proteins, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy
fats, and treats. Balanced diets satisfy hunger and decrease overeating.
All Foods Fit: The article recommends a 90/10 diet, with 90% healthy and 10% indulgent. This
lets kids enjoy goodies while eating properly.
Addressing anxiety: Parents should not let anxiety over their children's eating habits cause fear-
based feeding. It's important to balance worry with a healthy feeding environment because such
methods might develop children eating difficulties.
Establishing System and Structure: The author emphasizes home food system structure. Parents
should promote a balanced diet with regular meal and snack times to prevent unhealthy snacking
and overeating.
Family dinners: The article emphasizes family dinners despite busy schedules. Family dinners
promote healthy development in children by fostering connection, food discovery, politeness,
and routine.
Keep Kids Guessing: Variety in meals and snacks prevents boredom. The author recommends
creative snack serving and introducing new meals to the menu to introduce kids to a variety of
cuisines.
Involving Kids: Involving kids in dietary decisions increases cooperation. Helping youngsters
prepare or choose food improves their bond with it.
Understanding How to Feed Kids: The essay concludes that parents should focus on how they
feed their children as well as what they eat. Dessert as a treat or pressuring kids to eat might
affect their eating habits.
4. Provide an APA reference entry for this information source.
Castle, J. (2018, January 23). 9 Lessons I've Learned About Feeding Kids. USNews.com.
Retrieved from https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A524634495/
Part 2: Article, Challenges and Facilitators to Promoting a Healthy Food Environment and
Communicating Effectively with Parents to Improve Food Behaviors of School Children
1. Target Audience: This paper targets researchers, health professionals, educators, and
policymakers interested in mother and child health, nutrition treatments, and behavior change
techniques. The use of "Social Cognitive Theory (SCT)," "mediators," and specialized
methodology and analysis approaches implies a degree of depth intended for public health,
nutrition, or related audiences. Parents and educators participating in school-based health
initiatives may also find the information helpful.
2. Article Purpose: This article examines obstacles and opportunities in fostering a healthy food
environment and engaging with parents to enhance school children's food habits. The study uses
Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) to examine parents' home food environments. The focus is on
result expectancies, behavioral competency, and mediators. The paper uses focus groups with
primary school parents to discover significant themes about parents' beliefs, actions, and
obstacles in creating a healthy home food environment.
The article also aims to enrich nutrition intervention literature. It fills the information gap by
investigating the social and behavioral factors that affect children's eating habits and stressing
parental views and problems. These findings will help create effective programs and
communication techniques to encourage schoolchildren to eat better.
3. Review of References: The article's references strengthen its legitimacy by referencing current
research and theories. Reynolds et al. (2002) suggest that parental shift in result expectancies and
behavioral capability/competence may boost elementary school children's fruit and vegetable
intake. This reference reinforces the study's theoretical base by demonstrating that it draws on
field standard principles.
The essay also contextualizes and compares parental problems in providing nutritious food and
managing with fussy eating by using Slusser et al. (2011) and Galloway et al. (2003). These
references demonstrate the article's understanding and involvement with relevant work, boosting
its credibility.
4 Reference
Meng, H., Johnson, R., & Ramirez, V. (2018). Challenges and Facilitators to Promoting a
Healthy Food Environment and Communicating Effectively with Parents to Improve
Food Behaviors of School Children. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 22(7), 958–967.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-018-2490-3
Part 3:
Child Nutrition Information Source Comparison
Different child nutrition information sources serve different audiences with different
goals and methodologies. This essay contrasts Jill Castle's USNews.com article "9 Lessons I've
Learned About Feeding Kids" and a scholarly journal article titled "Challenges and Facilitators to
Promoting a Healthy Food Environment and Communicating Effectively with Parents to
Improve Food Behaviors of School Children." This research contrasts audience targeting, content
depth, and aims, showing their respective benefits.
Different Audiences and Tone
Jill Castle's USNews.com post targets parents seeking feeding tips. Personal stories and
useful advice are shared in a conversational tone. The scientific journal article addresses
researchers, health professionals, educators, and policymakers. Social Cognitive Theory (SCT)
and technical language indicate a degree of knowledge anticipated from relevant experts (Castle,
2018; Author et al., 2018).
Content depth and goal:
Parents may learn practical feeding techniques from Jill Castle's post. Balanced nutrition,
eating anxiety, and regulated family food systems are among its nine main lessons. Personal and
professional experiences inform the anecdotal and practical advice (Castle, 2018).
However, scholarly journal articles are more rigorous and intellectual. It analyses school
food environment problems and facilitators using Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). Mediators,
outcome expectancies, and behavioral competency are emphasized. The study seeks to enrich the
knowledge and guide successful treatments (Author et al., 2018).
Credibility and references
Jill Castle's USNews.com piece lacks citations. Instead, it uses the author's pediatric
dietitian and motherhood experience. Without formal citations, the text is more relatable but
lacks academic rigor. References to research and theories boost the credibility of the scientific
journal article. References like Reynolds et al. (2002) and Slusser et al. (2011) reinforce the
theoretical framework and base the investigation in known concepts and earlier work.
Usefulness of Each Data Type
Parents seeking realistic and accessible feeding guidance can benefit from the
USNews.com article. It is excellent for those seeking firsthand insights and concrete
recommendations on child feeding difficulties. Researchers, health providers, and policymakers
studying child nutrition need scientific journal articles. It advances knowledge through evidence-
based insights based on existing theories and methods (Author et al., 2018; Castle, 2018).
Key Takeaway
The most essential lesson from this project is the need of matching information sources to
audience needs and research goals. Understanding the distinctions between popular articles and
scholarly publications helps choose sources. The information source must match the intended
depth, tone, and application, whether seeking parental advice or contributing to evidence-based
child nutrition research. This awareness helps information achieve its goal.
In the complicated world of child nutrition, Jill Castle's USNews.com piece and the
scientific journal article on barriers and facilitators of a healthy eating environment provide light
on the diversity of information sources. The diverse audiences, material depth, and goals of
various sources emphasize the necessity of picking information that meets individual
requirements, whether as a parent seeking practical guidance or a scholar contributing to
academic debate.
With its approachable tone and practical recommendations, Jill Castle's piece is a useful
resource for parents making nutritious decisions for their children. Parents will relate to its
emphasis on balanced diet, regular meal plans, and resolving worry about children's eating
habits.
Using Social Cognitive Theory, the academic journal article targets a more specialized
readership in research, healthcare, and education. The in-depth analysis of result expectations,
behavioral capability/competence, and mediators enhances academic understanding of the
problems and possibilities in promoting healthy school food environments.
Jill Castle's paper is conversational but lacks citations, which lowers its academic
credibility. The academic journal article's use of known ideas and references to Reynolds et al.
(2002) and Slusser et al. (2011) lends credence to the research.
The main lesson is to choose information sources carefully based on their intended use.
Popular articles with relatable experiences and practical advice may help parents seeking urgent
direction. Researchers and professionals studying child nutrition will need scholarly publications
for evidence-based insights and theoretical frameworks.
This assignment underscores that information sources reflect audience requirements.
Recognizing the qualities of each source and ensuring that material fulfils its intended goal,
whether it be practical advice for parents or scientific contributions to child nutrition, is key to
navigating this terrain. Informed information source selection enables a complete and nuanced
approach to child nutrition, a complicated and crucial field.
References
Castle, J. (2018, January 23). 9 Lessons I've Learned About Feeding Kids. USNews.com.
Retrieved from https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A524634495/
Galloway, A. T., Lee, Y., & Birch, L. L. (2003). Predictors and consequences of food neophobia
and pickiness in young girls. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 103(6), 692-
698.
Maternal and Child Health Journal (2018) 22:958–967. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-
017-2393-6
Reynolds, K. D., Franklin, F. A., Binkley, D., Raczynski, J. M., Harrington, K. F., & Kirk, K. A.
(2002). Increasing the fruit and vegetable consumption of fourth-graders: results from the
high 5 project. Preventive Medicine, 35(5), 407-417.
Slusser, W. M., Sharif, M., Erausquin, J. T., Kinsler, J. J., Collin, D., & Prelip, M. L. (2011).
Improving overweight among at-risk minority youth: results of a pilot intervention in
after-school programs. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 22(2), 589-
603.