Objectives There are no published data on which children are at risk for not engaging in programming during the summer window of risk. The objective of this study was to compare the demographic characteristics of children who do (“attenders”) and do not (“non-attenders”) participate in summer programming. Methods Project SWEAT was a prospective observational study of pre-K through 5th grade children residing in low-income, urban neighborhoods. Caregivers were texted weekly during the summer (10 weeks) by the research team to gather information on their child's attendance in programming. Text messages stated, “Hello from Project SWEAT! How many days this week did [Child Name] attend a summer program? Please respond with a number from 0–5, where 0 – no days, 2 – 2 days, etc.” Attenders were defined as having attended ≥1 day of programming during the summer and non-attenders as 0 days. Chi-square was conducted to determine differences in demographic characteristics according to attender status. Results Attendance data were collected from 88.50% of the study sample (n = 100 out of 113). Mean age was 7.03 ± 0.23 years; 52.00% (n = 52), 70.10% (n = 68), and 80.00% (n = 80) were female, low-income, and Black, respectively. Almost one-third (32.99%, n = 32) were classified as overweight (19.59%, n = 19) or obese (13.40%, n = 13) at baseline. Fifty-one % (n = 51) of study participants were classified as attenders, and 49.00% (n = 49) were non-attenders. Mean attendance was 10.40 ± 1.43 days. Attenders were more likely to be male (62.75% [n = 32] vs. 37.25% [n = 19], P < 0.01). Conclusions Children who are female are significantly less likely to attend summer programming than male participants. Given that summertime is a window of risk for child health (e.g., inappropriate weight gain) and food security, further research needs to be conducted to understand who and why certain children are attending summer programming. Funding Sources USDA North Central Nutrition Education Center for Excellence.
Objectives Assess the impact of an 8-week Head Start family meals intervention (Simple Suppers) on participating caregiver's weight status and health outcomes. Methods This is a single arm pre- to post-test study. The intervention is occurring during the 2019–20 school year (fall, winter, and spring sessions) at 3 Head Start sites. Caregiver outcomes include: BMI (kg/m2), waist circumference (cm), blood pressure (mm Hg), and mental health measures (depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)), perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)), and anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7))). Regression models factoring in attendance will be used to examine pre- to post-test changes. Results Nineteen caregivers completed data collection for the fall session. 55.6% of families were low-income and 21.1% had low/very low food security. Mean (SD) caregiver age was 37.6 (12.1) yr, 94.7% were female, and 84.2% were non-Hispanic Black. There were no significant changes in BMI, blood pressure, waist circumference, depression, or perceived stress from pre- to post-test according to attendance level, however anxiety significantly decreased with increasing attendance (P < 0.05). Data collection for the remaining sessions will be completed in spring 2020. Conclusions This study can be expected to have a positive impact by understanding the role of healthy family mealtime routines in caregiver's physical and mental health among racial minorities residing in low-income households. Funding Sources USDA NIFA.
Objectives Simple Suppers is a 10-week evidence-based intervention (EBI) designed to improve family mealtime routines and child weight status among racially diverse elementary-age children from low-income households. Results from a previous trial demonstrated effectiveness, thereby warranting a scale-out study to reach other child populations (i.e., preschool-age children). In the current study, Southside Simple Suppers Scale-Up (S4), we propose a hybrid type 2 effectiveness-implementation trial, which has a dual focus on effectiveness and implementation outcomes. This type of trial will allow facilitation of the research translation process to develop effective solutions to promote the health of preschool-age children. Methods S4 is occurring during the 2019–20 school year (fall, winter, spring) at 3 Head Start sites (school readiness program for low-income children). Effectiveness outcomes (child food preparation skills, family meal routines) are collected at pre- and post-programming via direct measure and survey. Child food preparation skills are rated on 4-point Likert scale (strongly disagree to strongly agree). Family mealtime routines (i.e., eating meals together, TV on while eating) are reported by number of days per week. Implementation outcomes (adoption, fidelity, fiscal efficiency) are collected throughout programming. Adoption is assessed by weekly attendance. Fidelity is assessed with a program-specific checklist and videotaping. Fiscal efficiency is evaluated by assessing cost of programming per family. Results Nineteen caregivers completed data collection for the fall session. 55.6% families were low-income. Mean(SD) caregiver age was 37.6(12.1) yr, 94.7% were female, 84.2% were Black, and mean(SD) BMI was 35.3(11.2) kg/m2. Mean(SD) child age was 3.4(0.5) yr, 47.6% were female, and mean (SD) BMI z-score was 1.16(1.38). Child food preparation skills significantly increased from pre- to post-test (P < 0.05); there were no significant changes in family mealtime routines. Programming was delivered as intended 78% of the time and mean cost of weekly programming was $8.63 per family. Programming and data collection will be complete in spring 2020. Conclusions Results from this novel hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial will inform the future scale-up of the EBI Simple Suppers program in Head Start. Funding Sources USDA NIFA.
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