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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Suzanne M. Winter, PhD, COEHD-DT, The University of Texas at San Antonio, 501 West Durango, San Antonio, TX 78207, 210-458-3150, suzanne.winter@utsa.edu

Alarming rates of obesity among children have captured the attention of communities, nationwide. The Surgeon General and the National Institutes of Health have set a priority on obesity prevention programs aimed at children. In communities with high Hispanic populations, children are particularly at high risk, especially in low-income neighborhoods. Many communities have reported an increase in cases of overweight or obese preschool children. Of serious concern is the potential impact of obesity on children's health and success in school. Community-based participatory research was launched to examine the problems of pediatric obesity and school readiness among preschool children in San Antonio, Texas. This session will describe community efforts to address children's rights to enter school healthy and ready to learn. Initially, local government stimulated partnerships among community non-profit agencies, universities, and schools surrounding school readiness issues. These partnerships have served as a springboard for assessing and planning strategies and programs aimed at ensuring the health and school readiness of children. To establish a culturally responsive interface with predominantly Mexican American families, one community partnership established collaboration with Promotoras, a group of neighborhood residents organized to provide leadership in the community. The session will provide strategies learned by the partnership for involving community residents in assessment and planning processes. Studies have yielded health information about children as well as data regarding the perceptions and practices of families, teachers, and caregivers related to pediatric obesity. This session will summarize study findings and suggest implications for policy and program development.

Learning Objectives:

• 1.Discuss the impact of community-based partnerships on planning, programs, and policy related to children's health and school readiness.
• 2.Describe strategies for involving community residents in planning pediatric obesity prevention programs.
• 3.List three ways to assess perceptions and practices of families, teachers, and caregivers related to pediatric obesity prevention.

Keywords: Community-Based Partnership, Child Health Promotion

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered