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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Wendi Gosliner, MPH, RD, Pat Crawford, DrPH, RD, and Sarah Kim, MPH. Center for Weight and Health, UC Berkeley, 9 Morgan Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720, 510-642-3589, wgosline@berkeley.edu

PURPOSE: To share the results of a two-year intervention study in which staff wellness activities were conducted at six participating child care programs in Contra Costa County in California. Wellness activities were offered as an enhancement to a project (called CHANCE) working to introduce nutrition and physical activity training and policy development in the childcare setting. METHODS: Of nearly fifty childcare centers participating in the CHANCE project, six also participated in wellness activities, and seven served as controls. The intervention included training, individual health assessments, monthly newsletters, and a walking challenge. Staff at participating intervention and control sites completed written surveys at baseline and again at endpoint. FINDINGS: Staff members enjoyed participating in wellness activities. Although the interventions were of very modest intensity, results showed promise. Staff members at intervention sites were somewhat less likely than those at control sites to gain weight during the intervention year. Staff members at intervention sites reported offering more fresh fruits and vegetables to the children in their care during the intervention year compared to staff members at control sites. The ability of childcare centers to implement wellness activities varied and was related to management systems, staff turnover, illness, and other factors.

Learning Objectives: