Progress 10/01/05 to 09/30/06
Outputs
Research focused upon elucidating the problem of childhood obesity with a focus on addressing disparities fell into one of three areas: 1. Prevention of overweight in low-income preschool children. Promoting Wellness in Early Childhood, was a collaboration project with childcare providers, Head Start, WIC, and Cooperative Extension colleagues. Two multimedia educational materials were produced: Fit Families: Let's Get Moving (a program to encourage physical activity in the very young) and Fit Families Novela Series: For Families Who Want the Best for their Children. These educational materials were produced in Spanish and English and are available at cost through the U.C. Cooperative Extension website. A related research study on the relationship between food insecurity in low-income Latino mothers and their preschool aged children was conducted. 2. Evaluation of school nutrition environmental interventions and policy. School-based nutritional interventions that target
unhealthy school environments and the likely consequences of obesity and subsequent health problems were a primary area of research. Linking Education, Activity and Food (LEAF), a program designed to remove junk food and highly sweetened beverages from the school environment was evaluated. 3. Expert reviews of the literature. The importance of synthesizing the research and presenting a body of evidence as compared to individual studies is critically important. Over 1,000 obesity articles published between 1992 and 2003 were reviewed and synthesized in our book entitled Obesity: Dietary and Developmental Influences. Additionally an article on the family environment came out of this same review. We also conducted an evidence-based literature review prevention and treatment interventions to reduce pediatric overweight. This review included every childhood overweight intervention with a BMI or adiposity outcome over the last 10 years. It was used as the basis of the position paper on this
topic for the American Dietetic Association.
Impacts
The prevalence of obesity in high risk children has increased dramatically in recent years. Our strategies are published and can serve as models for adoption by organizations working with youth. Multi-disciplinary studies are being conducted in vulnerable California communities with an emphasis on school settings and community-based collaborations. This work will be of critical importance until there is a leveling of the rates of pediatric overweight, particularly among the high risk and low-income children in our nation.
Publications
- Ritchie, L.D., Welk, G., Styne, D., Gerstein, D.E. and Crawford, P.B. 2005. Family environment and pediatric overweight: what is a parent to do? J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 105:70-79.
- Crawford, P.B., Wang, M., Krathwohl, S. and Ritchie, L. 2006. Disparities in obesity: prevalence, causes, and solutions. Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition 1:27-48.
- Woodward-Lopez, G., Ritchie, L.D., Gerstein, D. and Crawford, P.B. 2006. Obesity: Dietary and Developmental Influences. Boca Raton, LA: CRC Press.
- Ritchie, L.D., Hoelscher, D.M., Sothern, M.S. and Crawford, P.B. 2006. Position of the American Dietetic Association: individual-, family-, school-, and community-based interventions for pediatric overweight. J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 106:925-945.
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