Building Blocks for Healthy Preschoolers
| Status: | Enrolling by invitation |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Obesity Weight Loss |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Endocrinology |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 18 - Any |
| Updated: | 10/13/2018 |
| Start Date: | June 17, 2016 |
| End Date: | August 2020 |
Building Blocks for Healthy Preschoolers: Child Care and Family Models
Pediatric obesity, a defining health problem of the century, leads to long-term health
disparities. This application evaluates strategies to prevent health disparities early in
life by developing environmental wellness-related interventions focused on child-care center
staff and families.
Child-care centers provide an excellent opportunity to build healthy dietary and physical
activity lifestyle habits and avoid the rapid weight gain that leads to health disparities.
Building on a statewide survey among child-care centers and a pilot evaluation of an
environmental intervention, this 3-cell randomized trial evaluates the impact of a
staff-focused environmental wellness intervention and a staff and family-focused
intervention, against a control condition.
disparities. This application evaluates strategies to prevent health disparities early in
life by developing environmental wellness-related interventions focused on child-care center
staff and families.
Child-care centers provide an excellent opportunity to build healthy dietary and physical
activity lifestyle habits and avoid the rapid weight gain that leads to health disparities.
Building on a statewide survey among child-care centers and a pilot evaluation of an
environmental intervention, this 3-cell randomized trial evaluates the impact of a
staff-focused environmental wellness intervention and a staff and family-focused
intervention, against a control condition.
The intervention trial will be conducted in 48 child-care centers throughout Maryland,
enrolling 1080 children age 30-54 months from low-income families, 1080 parents, and 450
staff members. The aims are: 1) to examine the impact of the wellness intervention
individually and combined with the family intervention versus control on child-care center
staff wellness-related attitudes and behaviors; parent wellness-related attitudes and
behaviors; and child dietary intake, food preferences, physical activity, and growth; 2) to
examine the sustainability of the interventions; and 3) to examine whether changes in
outcomes measures for children's food preferences, growth, and feeding behavior are mediated
by changes in the child-care staff wellness-related attitudes and behaviors and/or parent
wellness-related attitudes and behaviors. Findings from the trial will inform programs and
policies in child-care centers to prevent obesity and reduce disparities, and will be
disseminated locally, regionally, and nationally through conferences, information briefs,
social media, and peer-reviewed journal articles. The overall objective is to promote
statewide environmental strategies that reduce pediatric obesity and the long-term health
disparities.
enrolling 1080 children age 30-54 months from low-income families, 1080 parents, and 450
staff members. The aims are: 1) to examine the impact of the wellness intervention
individually and combined with the family intervention versus control on child-care center
staff wellness-related attitudes and behaviors; parent wellness-related attitudes and
behaviors; and child dietary intake, food preferences, physical activity, and growth; 2) to
examine the sustainability of the interventions; and 3) to examine whether changes in
outcomes measures for children's food preferences, growth, and feeding behavior are mediated
by changes in the child-care staff wellness-related attitudes and behaviors and/or parent
wellness-related attitudes and behaviors. Findings from the trial will inform programs and
policies in child-care centers to prevent obesity and reduce disparities, and will be
disseminated locally, regionally, and nationally through conferences, information briefs,
social media, and peer-reviewed journal articles. The overall objective is to promote
statewide environmental strategies that reduce pediatric obesity and the long-term health
disparities.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Preschooler 30-54 months
- Caregiver and childcare staff must be at least 18 years old
- Childcare center staff member
Exclusion Criteria:
- Caregivers and staff who do not speak or read English
- Childcare Staff and preschoolers with health problems that would interfere with
participation in physical activity
- Caregivers who do not look after the child participant 4 or more days per week
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