Healthy kids child-parent fitness & nutrition pilot study

Purpose: The findings from a program evaluation of an existing Healthy Kids Parent and Child Fitness & Nutrition (FAN) program provided the foundation for the implementation of a 2007 pilot research project on fitness and nutrition with children-parents at a different location of the Boys & Girls Club. The Healthy Kids FAN Club initiative was developed through a community service-learning partnership among the local County Extension Service, Food and Drug Administration, American Heart Association, Boys and Girls Club & the College of Nursing. The conceptual model draws from the health promotion literature, focusing on goal setting and attainment. The premise is that the child and parent will jointly work towards lifestyle changes that promote optimum fitness and nutrition habits. Methods: Student nurses completed height/weight/BMI percentile screening of children during the first semester in the BSN program. Senior students assisted in the 2007 pilot study as part of their capstone community health nursing project. The intervention is a series of five weekly sessions for children and parents. Each session includes a physical activity as well as a focus on simple healthy meal planning. Each participant received a pedometer; physiologic measures of height, weight, BMI, blood pressure were completed at the beginning of the intervention. Participants tracked pedometer readings through the America on the Move website. At the initial parent meeting, thirteen parents (all women) with 18 children among them expressed willingness to take part in the pilot project. Findings from the study will be reported. Nursing Implications: Linking education programs with fitness activities offers the opportunity to initiate behavioral changes. The findings of this pilot study are important in the design of effective strategies involving children and their parents in community-based fitness and nutrition programs. Nurses working in the community traditionally offer educational programs. However, unless there is a lifestyle change, those educational programs provide limited efficacy in positive client health outcomes. This work is important as the obesity epidemic continues towards an increasing trend in incidence and prevalence.