Books communicate information to children about social norms, including those associated with eating and foods. This, combined with concern about high rates of child obesity, was the impetus for this study. Information is presented on the food messages in a sample of contemporary popular books written for young children. Highly sweetened products…

Food preparation literacy is defined as an individual's ability to plan, manage, and prepare tasty foods with limited directions (Vidgen & Gallegos, 2014). Food preparation practices are complex and demanding but they play a crucial role in health outcomes. Low food preparation literacy may contribute to less healthy food consumption,…

The recession of 2008 brought foreclosures, job loss, credit defaults, an increase in bankruptcy, and a decrease in savings rates. The past decade also introduced a major change in the healthcare system and concern for the increase in student loan debt. All of these issues affected individuals, families, and communities in a variety of ways; for…

First, gerontology is a life course perspective that evaluates aging outcomes as the cumulative effect of individual characteristics (socioeconomic status, personality, health behaviors) and where the person lives (i.e., human ecosystems), including the historical context in which they reside. Second, gerontology examines factors that contribute…

Well-being and wellness have long been the mantra of the family and consumer (FCS) profession (Brown, 1993). This paper shares the results of a decade review (2009-2019) of the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences' (AAFCS) two major periodicals relative to their coverage of well-being and wellness. Specifically, we focused on the…

The roots of modern hospitality teachings are evident in the beginnings of family and consumer sciences (FCS). Land-grant universities of the Midwest (such as Iowa State University and Kansas State University) did not simply teach cooking and sewing, but they also taught "budgeting, table service ... and the production and marketing of…

The "Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences" ("JFCS") reflects the broad scope and reach of the family and consumer sciences (FCS) discipline through its inclusion of Scholarship, Practice, Strategies, Features, Reflections, and other articles that span content areas, settings, populations, issues, and methodologies.…

Food literacy (FL) has become a key concept for many family and consumer sciences/home economics (FCS/HE) professionals, especially those with specializations in dietetics and nutrition, food studies, and education. References to food literacy have grown exponentially since its first mention in the 1990s (Begley & Vidgen, 2016) and are used…

The development of home economics as a discipline parallels Industry 2.0 with technology appearing in early home economics research and curricula; introducing electrified technology, most often in the form of appliances, was a distinct and important role for professional home economists. While specific subdisciplines gravitated toward research…

This review of literature focuses on youth development by examining the effects of use of social networking sites and digital applications on teens.Recent research demonstrates that using these types of digital media amplifies existing issues teens face, contributes to new concerns, and affords new opportunities. In order to navigate this…

The purpose of this research project was to explore coverage of obesity-related topics in the early years of "Journal of Home Economics (JHE)." Utilizing HEARTH, a Boolean search for obesity-related terms and topics was used to analyze volumes beginning with 1909, continuing to 1910, and every five years to 1940. Coverage of the obesity…

A webinar or web-seminar is a presentation, seminar, lecture, or workshop transmitted over the internet. This emerging technology is becoming increasingly popular due to its convenience and affordability. However, little research has been conducted on best practices for an interactive webinar that engages learners in a professional development or…

For many years, overall graduate research productivity has been reported annually by several authors in the December issue of the "Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal." The knowledge gleaned from a century's worth of Extension studies is valuable because it can improve our ability to build on prior research, particularly…

"Flipping" the classroom employs easy-to-use, readily accessible technology in order to free class time from lecture. This allows for an expanded range of learning activities during class time. Using class time for active learning versus lecture provides opportunities for greater teacher-to-student mentoring, peer-to-peer collaboration…

This article highlights results of a review of available literature (1985 to 2004) to substantiate the effectiveness of family and consumer sciences (FCS) secondary-level public school programs. Commissioned by AAFCS, the study found limited research-based evidence supporting the impact of secondary FCS programs. In addition to recommending more…