Performing Department
Family And Consumer Sciences
Non Technical Summary
Obesity is occurring even earlier in life than previously observed and impacting children as early as preschool. Currently an estimated 10.4% of the nation's preschoolers are classified as obese (body mass index at the 95th percentile or higher) and 21.2% are classified as overweight (body mass index at the 85th percentile or above). Overall, 32% of children and adolescents, aged 2-19 years, are overweight and 17% are obese. Energy balance is often used to understand obesity and body weight regulation. In the past, body weight was described as a simple balance between energy in and energy out. We now know, however, that factors that influence body weight are more complicated. Each component of energy balance is influence by both genetic and environmental factors, as well as each other. For example, changing a child's physical activity can change energy intake by altering appetite. The proposed project will identify successful childhood obesity prevention strategies that include parenting, and translate these strategies for implementation by community and public health professionals. Previously collected data from field practice perspectives and parent-child interactions (from an earlier project) will be compared with seminal obesity-prevention research to identify successful child obesity prevention strategies that are influenced by parenting. The findings will be translated for use by community and public health professionals.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
50%
Applied
50%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Compare and contrast outcomes from 2006 W1005 objective 1 (field practice perspective) and objective 3 (parent-child interaction) with findings from seminal obesity-prevention research to identify successful child obesity prevention strategies as influenced by parenting.
Using the results of objective 1 (above) develop resources such as translational research articles that community and public health professionals could use in implementing community programs that ultimately could change the trajectory of childhood obesity and overweight.
Project Methods
Objective 1 1. Develop preliminary list of correlates of childhood obesity that could be modified by parent, family, or community interventions. 2. Review the pertinent literature regarding parent, family, or community obesity- prevention research from the perspective of nutrition, physical activity, and developmental sciences. 3. Arrive at a consensus about the primary correlates of childhood obesity that can be addressed by parent, family, or community obesity prevention programs. 4. Assess the findings from 2006 W1005 objectives 1 and 3 in relation to the determinants identified in the review of literature, highlighting the differences. 5. Published and presented for discussion and comment to provide new directions for prevention of childhood obesity. Objective 2 1. Develop the protocol for discussion groups at the state, regional, or national level to prioritize and assess the feasibility of objective 1 (findings for translation to the community level). 2. Execute the protocol for discussion groups at a variety of venues. 3. Compile and prioritize results from the discussion groups. 4. Develop resources based upon results from step #3. 5. Disseminate via webinars through eXtension, CYFERnet (Children, Youth and Families Education and Research Network), and professional organizations (e.g., National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior, Priester Conference). All of these webinars will be archived for future use. A second avenue of dissemination will be translational presentations at professional meetings (e.g., National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior).