Strategizing for early childhood obesity prevention: Reversing the epidemic in Santa Clara County, California

Background/Introduction: Almost one-fifth of all U.S. children are overweight and interventions for school-aged children may come too late to prevent obesity for the many children who are overweight by the time they enter kindergarten. This presentation will describe how counties can address early childhood obesity prevention by reporting on the development of a strategic plan for obesity prevention in the 0-5 population in Santa Clara County, California.

Purpose: To develop a county-wide comprehensive set of strategies for early childhood obesity prevention.

Methods: Meetings conducted with a variety of stakeholders identified and prioritized obesity prevention interventions that could be implemented county-wide. Stakeholders included members of a local collaborative, policy makers, childcare providers and parents. A logic model outlining interventions, target audiences, expected outcomes and evidence of change was created based on stakeholder input. In addition, interviews with local- and state-level service providers assisted in the creation of a matrix describing existing resources and funding needs for current and future programs.

Findings: Stakeholders developed obesity prevention strategies across several sectors. Priority strategies included interventions with childcare licensing and providers to assure healthy food and adequate physical activity; work with policymakers to improve access to healthy food, via fees and incentives to stores to carry healthy food; and work with direct service providers on obesity treatment and promoting consistent messages to families with young children on feeding practices and screen time. This multi-sector approach ensures that children and their families are exposed to consistent messages about obesity prevention across their county.