Science and Community: Partnering to prevent early childhood obesity

描述(申请人提供)：儿童肥胖被认为是一种公共卫生流行病和经济残疾问题，有色人种儿童特别容易受到伤害。肥胖的轨迹很可能早在五岁时就已经形成，使得儿童早期 这是人一生中最脆弱的时期，也是初级预防的关键机会。学龄前儿童的饮食缺乏水果和蔬菜，学龄前儿童很少进行体力活动。该项目采用学术和社区合作关系，试图通过互动会议、社区活动和数据收集来确定肥胖预防和控制策略。拟议的研究报告旨在纳入伙伴关系和政府的建议。首先，本研究将开发和测试针对高中生的课外科学和职业两部分实习和奖学金计划。下一步，我们将开发和评估饮食习惯和体力活动干预，以便在日托机构中为学龄前儿童提供服务。两者将通过受过指导和培训的高中生在日托设施中进行整合。高中生将由本科生实习生指导。我们将利用与社区现有的伙伴关系和关系，招募当地的日托中心和高中生。营养和促进体力活动的教育模块将使用出版的指南编制，并由指导高中生向托儿所的学龄前儿童提供，使用园艺和园艺例子。将使用定量和定性方法对该计划进行综合评估，以确定覆盖范围、有效性、采用、实施和维护。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Childhood obesity is recognized as a public health epidemic and economically crippling issue, and children of color are particularly vulnerable. The trajectory toward obesity is likely established as early as the age of five, making early childhood a most vulnerable time in the lifespan and a key opportunity for primary prevention. Diets of preschool aged children lack fruit and vegetables, and children in preschool do little physical activity. In order to effectively reduce health disparities in the control and prevention of obesit, community based participatory research (CBPR) may be used to enhance relevance and sustainability of obesity interventions, and includes community members and scientists as equal partners in the research. This project employs an academic-community partnership, which has sought to identify obesity prevention and control strategies via interactive meetings, community events and data collection. The proposed study was developed to incorporate both partnership and government recommendations. A recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) report recommended actions that healthcare professionals, caregivers, and policymakers can take to prevent obesity in children five and younger, including providing PA opportunities for at least 15 minutes per hour while children are in care (Recommendation 3-1), providing meals and snacks as part of a daily routine and reinforcing children's internal cues of hunger and fullness (Recommendation 4-4) and providing guidance, training and educating those working with young children to increase children's healthy eating and counsel parents about their children's diet (Recommendation 4-6). First, this study will develop and test an extracurricular science and career two part internship and fellowship program for high school students. Next we will develop and evaluate a dietary habits and physical activity intervention for delivery in daycare settings to preschool children. Both will be integrated in the delivery in daycare facilities via mentored, trained high school students. High school students will be mentored by undergraduate interns. We will capitalize on the existing partnership and relationships with the community to recruit local daycare centers and high school aged students. Education modules on nutrition and promoting physical activity will be developed using published guidelines and delivered by mentored high school students to preschoolers in daycares using garden and gardening examples. The program will be comprehensively evaluated using quantitative and qualitative methods to determine reach, efficacy, adoption, implementation and maintenance. Presuming that the aims are accomplished and the project is successful, these findings will be distributed to health promoters and researchers as a simple and effective strategy to increase physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption and promote healthy eating in preschoolers in daycare centers while improving the knowledge and career potential of high school students.