Training community practitioners to work more effectively with parents to prevent childhood obesity: the impact of HENRY upon Children’s Centres and their staff

Abstract Background Low parental participation reduces the impact and sustainability of public health childhood obesity prevention programmes. Using data from a focused ethnography, we developed a multi-level, theory-based implementation optimisation intervention. The optimisation intervention aimed to support local authorities and children’s centres to adopt behaviours to promote engagement in ‘HENRY (Health Exercise Nutrition for the Really Young)’, a UK community obesity prevention intervention. Methods We evaluated the effectiveness of the optimisation intervention on programme enrolment and completion over a 12 implementation period in a cluster randomised controlled trial. We randomised 20 local government authorities (with 126 children’s centres) to HENRY plus the optimisation intervention or to HENRY alone. Primary outcomes were (1) the proportion of centres enrolling at least eight parents per programme and (2) the proportion of centres with a minimum of 75% of parents attending at least five of eight sessions per programme. Trial analyses adjusted for stratification factors (pre-randomisation implementation of HENRY, local authority size, deprivation) and allowed for cluster design. A parallel mixed-methods process evaluation used qualitative interview data and routine monitoring to explain trial results. Results Neither primary outcome differed significantly between groups; 17.8% of intervention centres and 18.0% of control centres achieved the parent enrolment target (adjusted difference -1.2%; 95%CI: -19.5%, 17.1%); 17.1% of intervention centres and 13.9% of control centres achieved the attendance target (adjusted difference 1.2%; 95%CI: -15.7%, 18.1%). Unexpectedly, the trial coincided with substantial national service restructuring, including centre closures and reduced funds. Some commissioning and management teams stopped or reduced implementation of both HENRY and the optimisation intervention due to competing demands. Thus, at follow up, HENRY programmes were delivered to approximately half the number of parents compared to baseline (n=433 vs. 881). Conclusions During a period in which services were reduced by policies outside the realm of this research, this first definitive trial found no evidence of effectiveness for an implementation optimisation intervention promoting parent engagement in an obesity prevention intervention. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02675699 registered 4th February 2016. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02675699

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Examining the impact of cuts to local government spending on Sure Start Children’s Centres on childhood obesity: a commentary

Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health ◽

10.1136/jech-2021-217190 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. jech-2021-217190

Author(s):

Tim Huijts

Keyword(s):

Childhood Obesity ◽

Local Government ◽

Government Spending ◽

The Impact ◽

Children’S Centres

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26.A. Workshop: Assessing the role of policies and actions to address childhood obesity

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckaa165.1225 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽

Author(s):

◽

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Childhood Obesity ◽

Stakeholder Engagement ◽

Special Focus ◽

Policy Options ◽

Sustainable Solutions ◽

Relevant Evidence ◽

Multi Stakeholder ◽

The Impact

Abstract Childhood obesity has grown to become one of the most dramatic features of the global obesity epidemic, with long-term consequences. The spread of obesity has been fueled by changes in social norms and living environments that have shaped individual behaviours making them conducive to excessive and imbalanced nutrition, sedentary lifestyles, and ultimately obesity and associated diseases. The STOP project will aim to generate scientifically sound, novel and policy-relevant evidence on the factors that have contributed to the spread of childhood obesity in European countries and on the effects of alternative technological and organisational solutions and policy options available to address the problem. STOP will translate the evidence gathered and generated into indicators and measurements, policy briefs and toolkits and multi-stakeholder frameworks. A special focus of STOP is understanding the stakeholders' networks and drivers of stakeholders' action. STOP will establish new ways for policy-relevant evidence to be generated, made available and used in the design and implementation of effective and sustainable solutions for childhood obesity at the EU, national and local levels. Each of the policy work packages will: Produce evidence syntheses and impact simulations for different policy approaches;Assess selected policy approaches and actions in children cohorts and other relevant settings;Devise policy toolkits and policy guidance to support the adoption and implementation of specific actions by relevant actors;Establish a country-based European accountability and monitoring framework in each policy area. The workshop aims to: Showcase the impact of different policy options evaluated throughout the STOP project;Increase participants' understanding and awareness of the opportunities and challenges associated with the implementation of selected policies;Increase awareness of public health professionals of the importance of overcoming siloes in identifying and implementing public health policies;Increase the understanding of multi-stakeholder engagement. The discussion will explore the role of stakeholders across different policy areas. We will explore the different definitions of “stakeholders” and “multi-stakeholders” engagement. This will also be an opportunity to explore some of the benefits, risks and challenges around stakeholder engagement, and explore what are the different types of stakeholders involved in these policies as well as their roles. The workshop will offer an opportunity to: Inform participants about existing physical activity, regulatory and fiscal policies to address childhood obesity;Inform participants about new, innovative EU-level projects that aim to address childhood obesity;Outline preliminary findings of the STOP project with regards to the effectiveness of the evaluated policies;Identify some of the gaps and limitations of existing policies and discuss some of the steps to ensure successful policy implementation. Key messages Present new evidence on what policy approaches work in addressing key determinants of childhood obesity. Showcase findings on the attitudes of different stakeholders towards obesity policies, and debate the benefits, risks and challenges of multi-stakeholder engagement.

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Building Evidence to Prevent Childhood Obesity: Lessons from the Portland Healthy Eating Active Living (Heal) Coalition

Practicing Anthropology ◽

10.17730/praa.31.4.k1273415w26220wv ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 31 (4) ◽

pp. 21-26 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Margaret Everett ◽

Angie Mejia ◽

Olivia Quiroz

Keyword(s):

Health Promotion ◽

Childhood Obesity ◽

Healthy Eating ◽

Ecological Model ◽

Health Promotion Program ◽

Grocery Stores ◽

Active Living ◽

Healthy Foods ◽

Social Scientists ◽

The Impact

The Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Coalition is a community-based health promotion program begun in 2006 in North Portland's Portsmouth neighborhood. The program seeks to promote community health and prevent childhood obesity by addressing barriers at local, regional and policy levels, with particular attention to the built environment. This article describes the findings of a program evaluation based on interviews with school staff and Latino parents. Important themes include the impact of the closure of a neighborhood school, access to grocery stores with affordable healthy foods, and concern about school meals. The comprehensive approach of programs like HEAL, which uses the socio-ecological model of health promotion, lends itself well to the participation of applied social scientists.

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An Evaluation of the University of Illinois Extension Get Up & Move! Program

Journal of Youth Development ◽

10.5195/jyd.2009.280 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 126-131

Author(s):

Mary Ann Halpin ◽

Susan M. Farner ◽

Stephen J. Notaro ◽

Sheri Seibold ◽

Pat McGlaughlin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Childhood Obesity ◽

Physical Fitness ◽

Healthy Eating ◽

Healthy Lifestyles ◽

University Of Illinois ◽

Youth Leaders ◽

The University ◽

The Impact

Get Up & Move! is a program created by University of Illinois Extension to address childhood obesity. It provides ready-to-use materials for youth leaders to promote healthy lifestyles through physical fitness and healthy eating. The impact of the program on participants’ physical activity was evaluated to see whether involvement produces an increase in physical activity to the USDA recommended 60 minutes per day. It was found that a significant increase in minutes of physical activity occurred in participants from an average of 51.88 minutes per day to an average of 58.84 minutes per day.

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Modern Life as a Factor of Childhood Obesity: A Brief Review

Archives of Current Research International ◽

10.9734/acri/2020/v20i130169 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 24-28

Author(s):

Warly Neves de Araujo ◽

Randra Karoline Rodrigues Inacio ◽

Amanda Aguiar Barros ◽

Daniela Santos do Nascimento ◽

Eva Coelho da Silva ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Childhood Obesity ◽

Video Game ◽

Global Scale ◽

Ideal Weight ◽

Technological Advances ◽

High Prevalence ◽

Health And Development ◽

The Impact ◽

Negative Factors ◽

The Relationship

Childhood obesity has grown worryingly on a global scale one of the biggest influencers are technological advances exposed early to children. Therefore, this study aimed to seek in the literature the relationship between modernity and the high incidence of children above their ideal weight. The research is a systematic literature review on the factors that are linked to the high prevalence of children above their ideal weight today. After the analysis of the studies, it is notorious the impact generated by technology on the health and development of children when they are used early. Concluding the present study that the negative factors that have been contributing to the triggering of childhood obesity are: passive habits, that is, little physical activity, the large number of hours spent in front of TV, video game, DVD between Other electronic devices this combined with poor consumption feeding of high fat and sugar products and lack of physical exercise are factors that reflect a negative response in children’s lives favoring body fat accumulation.

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Changes in intergenerational eating patterns and the impact on childhood obesity

Health Education Journal ◽

10.1177/0017896910394543 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 71 (2) ◽

pp. 173-179 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Nicky Kime

Keyword(s):

Childhood Obesity ◽

Eating Patterns ◽

The Impact

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Impact of Carers’ Smoking Status on Childhood Obesity in the Growing up in Ireland Cohort Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16152759 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (15) ◽

pp. 2759 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Salome Sunday ◽

Zubair Kabir

Keyword(s):

Childhood Obesity ◽

Odds Ratio ◽

Maternal Smoking ◽

Smoking Status ◽

Childhood Overweight ◽

Growing Up ◽

Biological Mothers ◽

Study Participants ◽

The Impact ◽

Paternal Smoking

Childhood obesity is a growing concern worldwide. The association between childhood obesity and maternal smoking and/or paternal smoking has been reported. However, few studies have explored the association between childhood obesity and exposure to carers’ smoking status. This study aimed to assess the impact of carers’ smoking status on childhood obesity in a cohort of children enrolled in the Growing up in Ireland (GUI) study. Participants from the GUI infant cohort were categorized into four groups based on their exposure status: Neither caregiver smoked (60.4%), only primary caregiver smoked (13.4%), both caregivers smoked (10.9%). Exposure to primary carers’ smoking (98% are biological mothers) was found to be significantly associated with childhood overweight/obesity at age three (Odds Ratio: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.17–1.46) and at age five (OR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.16–1.49). Exposure to both carers’ smoking status was significantly associated with increased odds of childhood overweight/obesity across both waves. These findings emphasize the health burden of childhood obesity that may be attributable to maternal smoking postnatally and through early childhood in Ireland.

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