PURPOSE: Examine the effectiveness of the "Eat Healthy, Stay Active!" pilot program, a multisite, 6-month educational intervention to promote healthy nutrition and physical activity among Head Start staff, parents, and children. DESIGN: Comparison of within-group preintervention and postintervention knowledge and behavior, along with anthropomorphic measurements. SETTING: The study was conducted in a convenience sample of six large Head Start agencies in five states. SUBJECTS: Participants included 496 staff, 438 parents, and 112 preschool children. INTERVENTION: The 6-month intervention consisted of core trainings and reinforcing activities for staff and parents that aligned with children's curricula. MEASURES: Pre-post questionnaires and anthropometric measurements examined changes in body mass index (BMI), knowledge, and behaviors related to nutrition and physical activity. ANALYSIS: Paired t-tests to compare preintervention and postintervention weights and BMI; multiple regression analyses to examine associations between weight changes and other covariates, including knowledge and behavior changes, controlling for sociodemographic variables. RESULTS: Each group of participants demonstrated significant reductions in BMI (mean = 30.1 to 29.2; p < .001 in adults and 17.0 to 16.6; p < 0.001 in children) and in the proportion of obese children (30% to 21%; p < .001) and adults (45% to 40%; p < .001). Child weight changes correlated with parent weight changes. CONCLUSION: This intervention showed promising initial results, with potential effectiveness as an intervention to promote healthier behaviors among adults and children in Head Start settings.
PURPOSE: Examine the effectiveness of the "Eat Healthy, Stay Active!" pilot program, a multisite, 6-month educational intervention to promote healthy nutrition and physical activity among Head Start staff, parents, and children. DESIGN: Comparison of within-group preintervention and postintervention knowledge and behavior, along with anthropomorphic measurements. SETTING: The study was conducted in a convenience sample of six large Head Start agencies in five states. SUBJECTS:Participants included 496 staff, 438 parents, and 112 preschool children. INTERVENTION: The 6-month intervention consisted of core trainings and reinforcing activities for staff and parents that aligned with children's curricula. MEASURES: Pre-post questionnaires and anthropometric measurements examined changes in body mass index (BMI), knowledge, and behaviors related to nutrition and physical activity. ANALYSIS: Paired t-tests to compare preintervention and postintervention weights and BMI; multiple regression analyses to examine associations between weight changes and other covariates, including knowledge and behavior changes, controlling for sociodemographic variables. RESULTS: Each group of participants demonstrated significant reductions in BMI (mean = 30.1 to 29.2; p < .001 in adults and 17.0 to 16.6; p < 0.001 in children) and in the proportion of obesechildren (30% to 21%; p < .001) and adults (45% to 40%; p < .001). Child weight changes correlated with parent weight changes. CONCLUSION: This intervention showed promising initial results, with potential effectiveness as an intervention to promote healthier behaviors among adults and children in Head Start settings.
Authors: Anna H Grummon; Michael D Cabana; Amelie A Hecht; Abbey Alkon; Charles E McCulloch; Claire D Brindis; Anisha I Patel Journal: Public Health Nutr Date: 2019-07-15 Impact factor: 4.022
Authors: G Santos-Beneit; M Sotos-Prieto; P Bodega; C Rodríguez; X Orrit; N Pérez-Escoda; R Bisquerra; V Fuster; J L Peñalvo Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2015-09-16 Impact factor: 3.295