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Nutrition and physical activity randomized control trial in child care centers improves knowledge, policies, and children's body mass index.

ABSTRACT: To address the public health crisis of overweight and obese preschool-age children, the Nutrition And Physical Activity Self Assessment for Child Care (NAP SACC) intervention was delivered by nurse child care health consultants with the objective of improving child care provider and parent nutrition and physical activity knowledge, center-level nutrition and physical activity policies and practices, and children's body mass index (BMI).A seven-month randomized control trial was conducted in 17 licensed child care centers serving predominantly low income families in California, Connecticut, and North Carolina, including 137 child care providers and 552 families with racially and ethnically diverse children three to five years old. The NAP SACC intervention included educational workshops for child care providers and parents on nutrition and physical activity and consultation visits provided by trained nurse child care health consultants. Demographic characteristics and pre - and post-workshop knowledge surveys were completed by providers and parents. Blinded research assistants reviewed each center's written health and safety policies, observed nutrition and physical activity practices, and measured randomly selected children's nutritional intake, physical activity, and height and weight pre- and post-intervention.Hierarchical linear models and multiple regression models assessed individual- and center-level changes in knowledge, policies, practices and age- and sex-specific standardized body mass index (zBMI), controlling for state, parent education, and poverty level. Results showed significant increases in providers' and parents' knowledge of nutrition and physical activity, center-level improvements in policies, and child-level changes in children's zBMI based on 209 children in the intervention and control centers at both pre- and post-intervention time points.The NAP SACC intervention, as delivered by trained child health professionals such as child care health consultants, increases provider knowledge, improves center policies, and lowers BMI for children in child care centers. More health professionals specifically trained in a nutrition and physical activity intervention in child care are needed to help reverse the obesity epidemic.National Clinical Trials Number NCT01921842.

SUBMITTER: Alkon A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3945995 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Nutrition and physical activity randomized control trial in child care centers improves knowledge, policies, and children's body mass index.

Alkon Abbey A Crowley Angela A AA Neelon Sara E Benjamin SE Hill Sherika S Pan Yi Y Nguyen Viet V Rose Roberta R Savage Eric E Forestieri Nina N Shipman Linda L Kotch Jonathan B JB

BMC public health 20140301

<h4>Background</h4>To address the public health crisis of overweight and obese preschool-age children, the Nutrition And Physical Activity Self Assessment for Child Care (NAP SACC) intervention was delivered by nurse child care health consultants with the objective of improving child care provider and parent nutrition and physical activity knowledge, center-level nutrition and physical activity policies and practices, and children's body mass index (BMI).<h4>Methods</h4>A seven-month randomized ...[more]

PMID: 24580983

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Project description:BACKGROUND:North Carolina Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAP SACC) resources improve child body mass index (BMI) when the resources are introduced by nurses to child care providers, and offered with workshops and incentives. In San Francisco, public health and child care agencies partnered to adapt NAP SACC resources into an annual "Healthy Apple" quality improvement program (HAP). METHODS:This cluster randomized controlled trial pilot-tested integration of the HAP with bi-annual public health screenings by nurses. All child care centers that participated in Child Care Health Program (CCHP) screenings in San Francisco in 2011-2012 were offered routine services plus HAP in 2012-2013 (CCHP?+?HAP, n?=?19) or routine services with delayed HAP in 2014-2015 (CCHP?+?HAP Delayed, n?=?24). Intention-to-treat analyses (robust SE or mixed models) used 4 years of screening data from 12 to 17 CCHP?+?HAP and 17 to 20 CCHP?+?HAP Delayed centers, regarding 791 to 945 children ages 2 to 5y, annually. Year-specific, child level models tested if children in CCHP?+?HAP centers had greater relative odds of exposure to 3 index best practices and smaller Autumn-to-Spring changes in BMI percentile and z-score than children in CCHP?+?HAP Delayed centers, controlling for age, sex, and Autumn status. Multi-year, child care center level models tested if HAP support modified year-to-year changes (2013-2014 and 2014-2015 vs 2011-2012) in child care center annual mean Autumn-to-Spring BMI changes. RESULTS:In 2011-2012, the CCHP?+?HAP and CCHP?+?HAP Delayed centers had similar index practices (<15% of children were exposed to a physical activity curriculum, staff joining in active play, and drinking water pitchers) and annual BMI changes. In 2013-2014: 60% of children in CCHP?+?HAP centers were exposed to the 3 index practices vs 19% in CCHP?+?HAP Delayed centers; Mean (SE) child BMI percentile (-2.6 (0.9), p?=?0.003) and z-score (-0.08 (0.03), p?=?0.007) decreased more in CCHP?+?HAP vs CCHP?+?HAP Delayed centers. In 2014-2015, after all centers were offered HAP, the index practices and BMI changes were improved for all centers vs 2011-2012. CONCLUSIONS:Integration of the HAP with existing public health nursing services was associated with significantly more children exposed to best practices and improvement in child BMI change. The results warrant continued integration of HAP into local public health infrastructure. TRIAL REGISTRATION:ISRCTN18857356 (24/04/2015) Retrospectively registered.

Project description:BackgroundNutrition outcomes among young children in Nigeria are among the worse globally. Mother's limited knowledge about food choices, feeding, and health care seeking practices contributes significantly to negative nutrition outcomes for children in most developing countries. Much less is known about the relationship between mother's nutrition-related knowledge and child nutritional outcomes in rural Nigeria. This paper investigates therefore: (i) the association of mother's nutrition-related knowledge with nutrition outcomes of young children living in rural Nigeria, where access to education is limited, and (ii) whether mother's education has a complementary effect on such knowledge in producing positive child nutrition outcomes in such settings.MethodsUsing the Demographic and Health Survey data for Nigeria, we employ both descriptive and regression analyses approaches in analyzing the study's objectives. In particular, we apply ordinary least square (OLS) to investigate the association of mother's nutrition-related knowledge with child HAZ and WHZ while controlling for maternal, child, household and regional characteristics. An index was constructed for mother's nutrition-related knowledge using information on dietary practices, disease treatment and prevention, child immunization, and family planning.ResultsWe found that mother's knowledge is independently and positively associated with HAZ and WHZ scores in young children. Higher levels of mother's education, typically above primary, have a significant, positive association with child HAZ and WHZ scores. We argue that mother's knowledge of health and nutrition may substitute for education in reducing undernutrition in young children among populations with limited access to formal education. However, the present level of mother's education in rural Nigeria appears insufficient to reinforce knowledge in producing better nutrition outcomes for children.ConclusionsThis study suggests promotion of out-of-school (informal) education, such as adult literacy and numeracy classes where women without formal education can gain health and nutrition knowledge, and practices that could enhance child nutrition outcomes in Nigeria.

Project description:BackgroundRural Latino children have higher rates of obesity compared to non-Latino Whites. Schools are in a unique position to address rural childhood obesity through policies. While evidence exists on factors that promote or impede school-based physical activity (PA) and nutrition policies, only a fraction has been in rural communities. This study seeks to understand 1) the knowledge and perceptions of school nutrition and PA policies and 2) barriers and facilitators to their implementation among rural school stakeholders from Washington State.MethodsWe conducted 20 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with school stakeholders (e.g., principals and school nutrition directors) from four K-12 school districts in the Lower Yakima Valley of Eastern Washington State. Thematic analysis was conducted using inductive, constant comparison approach to identify themes around knowledge and perceptions of policies and barriers and facilitators of policy implementation.ResultsThree main themes were identified: perceptions and knowledge of school PA and nutrition policies, barriers to policy implementation, and facilitators of policy implementation. The majority of stakeholders were supportive of school-based policies promoting PA and a healthy diet, even when lacking a specific understanding of these policies. Four subthemes were identified as barriers to policy implementation: viewing PA as a low priority, misuse of recess time, funding constraints, and lack of strong leadership. Facilitators of implementation included strong leadership at the district level, creating healthy norms through school-community linkages and pooling community resources to improve nutrition and PA among children.ConclusionsSchools provide a unique setting to promote healthy diet and PA behaviors among children and their families. Study findings show that while knowledge of specific nutrition and PA policies may vary, support for such policies were high among rural stakeholders. Study findings can inform policy development and support strategies for policy implementation in rural settings. Future studies may want to examine whether implementation of strategies addressing the barriers and enhancing facilitators lead to success in rural school settings.

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Nutrition and physical activity randomized control trial in child care centers improves knowledge, policies, and children's body mass index.

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Nutrition and physical activity randomized control trial in child care centers improves knowledge, policies, and children's body mass index.

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