Childhood obesity prevention and control in city recreation centres and family homes: the MOVE/me Muevo Project

Abstract

Background Interventions to prevent and control childhood obesity have shown mixed results in terms of short- and long-term changes. Objectives “MOVE/me Muevo” was a two-year family- and recreation center-based randomized controlled trial to promote healthy eating and physical activity among 5-8 year old children. It was hypothesized that children in the intervention group would demonstrate lower post-intervention BMI values and improve obesity-related behaviors compared to control group children. Methods Thirty recreation centers in San Diego County, California were randomized to an intervention or control condition. Five hundred and forty-one families were enrolled and children’s body mass index (BMI), diet, physical activity and other health indicators were tracked from baseline to two years post-baseline. Analyses followed an intent-to-treat approach using mixed effects models. Results No significant intervention effects were observed for the primary outcomes of child or parent BMI and child waist circumference. Moderator analyses however showed girls (but not boys) in the intervention condition reduced their BMI. At the two-year follow-up, intervention condition parents reported that their children were consuming fewer high-fat foods and sugary beverages. Conclusions Favorable implementation fidelity and high retention rates support the feasibility of this intervention in a large metropolitan area; however, interventions of greater intensity may be needed to achieve effects on child’s BMI. Also, further research is needed to develop gender-specific intervention strategies so that both genders may benefit from such efforts.

Socioeconomic Disparities in Elementary School Practices and Children's Physical Activity during School

“…11 Children in NIK had been recruited from neighborhoods, and those in MOVE were recruited around recreation centers. Both studies used targeted phone calls to households that had a child in the study age range.…”

Prevention of overweight and obesity in preschool children: an updated review

“…The similar results came from a centre-based randomized controlled trial by Elder et al that reported lower consumption of fat and sugary beverage in the intervention group than in the control group. 5 Although, these data cannot tell us why these particular behaviours appeared to change, it is possible that reducing fat and sugary beverage consumption are relatively easy behaviours for families to implement compared with the more complex, multidimensional behaviour of physical activity. The review of 29 studies that was published by Oxford University Press showed that school-based interventions targeting both physical activity and diet combined were associated with significant improvement in BMI.…”

“…4 In USA, the prevalence of overweight was 32% and obesity was 17%. 5 In India, the prevalence of overweight in children ranges from 9% to 27.5% and obesity ranges from 1% to 12.9%. 6 The increasing problem of overweight and obesity in preschool children is mainly due to modern lifestyle which promotes an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure, resulting in excessive fat deposition.…”

Our Choice/Nuestra Opción:The Imperial County, California, Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration Study (CA-CORD)

“…The CA-CORD intervention is based on the study team's previous research, 29,[31][32][33][34][35][36] several systematic reviews, [8][9][10]21,[37][38][39][40][41] CA-CORD CAC input, and formative research. CA-CORD CAC members were identified during the grant-writing phase by responding to a request for participation in a community-wide approach to prevent and control childhood obesity.…”

“…In addition to changes in healthcare delivery, an adapted FWP 29,[32][33][34]36 was integrated into CDSDP's Programs Department and is being administered by a full-time CHW coordinator and implemented by six full-time CHWs. A key feature of the FWP is its delivery by CHWs within a healthcare system and the documentation of CHW support in the child's EHRs.…”