Dataset Information

A pilot summer day camp cooking curriculum to influence family meals.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Efforts to combat the epidemic of childhood obesity have approached the issue from many different angles, with a family approach being the gold standard. While most efforts focus on the parents, few have viewed the child as the agent of change. In this study, we explored the feasibility of implementing a cooking curriculum into a summer day camp to determine its reception and explore the potential of home reach.

Methods

In partnership with a local YMCA, a child-focused cooking curriculum was developed, designed to be delivered to various age groups with key nutritional messages. Interviews were conducted with participating children and their parents to determine acceptability and potential to influence the home environment as well as explore children's understanding of nutrition and cooking topics.

Results

Children in the study ranged from 7 to 15?years of age. Children overwhelmingly enjoyed the cooking camp and talked about it with their parents at home. Almost all parents had plans to try the recipes at home, and many had already made one or more of the recipes.

Conclusions

It is feasible to incorporate cooking lessons into a children's summer day camp, with some evidence of reach into the home. Future studies should evaluate children as agents of change in cooking and meal preparation, and assess if this could increase the number and quality of family meals.

SUBMITTER: Williams L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6911285 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

A pilot summer day camp cooking curriculum to influence family meals.

Williams Lindy L Magee Aleshia A Kilby Cameron C Maxey Katherine K Skelton Joseph A JA

Pilot and feasibility studies 20191213

<h4>Background</h4>Efforts to combat the epidemic of childhood obesity have approached the issue from many different angles, with a family approach being the gold standard. While most efforts focus on the parents, few have viewed the child as the agent of change. In this study, we explored the feasibility of implementing a cooking curriculum into a summer day camp to determine its reception and explore the potential of home reach.<h4>Methods</h4>In partnership with a local YMCA, a child-focused ...[more]

PMID: 31871733

Similar Datasets

Project description:BACKGROUND:Children from racial and ethnic minority groups, low-income households, and those with overweight or obesity gain more weight during the summer than the school year. Summer day camps, which offer routine opportunities for physical activity and regular meal and snack times, have potential to mitigate excess weight gain. This randomized controlled trial was done to determine the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of summer camp in preventing excess summer weight gain among youth from low-income households. METHODS:Children, ages 6 to 12?years, were randomized to attend 8-weeks of summer day camp (CAMP) or to experience an unstructured summer as usual (SAU) in 2017-2018. Primary feasibility outcomes included retention, engagement and completion of midsummer measures. Secondary outcomes included changes in BMIz, engagement in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behavior, and diet quality and energy intake from the school year to summer. Multivariable linear mixed models were used to assess group differences. RESULTS:Ninety-four participants were randomized to CAMP (n?=?46) or SAU (n?=?48), of whom 93.0 and 91.6% completed end of school and end of summer assessments, respectively. While CAMP participants attended only 50% of camp days offered, on average, they lost -?0.03 BMIz units while those in SAU gained 0.07 BMIz units over the summer (b?=?0.10; p?=?.02). Group differences in change in energy intake from the school year to summer were borderline significant, as energy intake remained relatively unchanged in CAMP participants but increased among participants in SAU (p?=?0.07). CONCLUSIONS:Randomizing children to attend summer day camp or experience an unstructured summer as usual was effective in this low-income sample. Our findings support the potential for summer camps in mitigating excess summer weight gain. A larger randomized trial is needed explore efficacy, cost-effectiveness and longer-term effects of attending summer camp on weight and weight-related behaviors. TRIAL REGISTRATION:ClinicalTrials.gov Registration: NCT04085965 (09/2019, retrospective registration).

Dataset Information

A pilot summer day camp cooking curriculum to influence family meals.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

A pilot summer day camp cooking curriculum to influence family meals.

Similar Datasets

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