Promoting healthy nutrition practices and physical activity among African American families with young children: A national initiative

This presentation discusses successes and challenges in supporting communities in efforts to develop and strengthen strategies that promote physical activity and positive nutrition among African American families with young children. Rooted in the Let's Move! recommendations, the national initiative to fight childhood obesity, we will describe a national effort to develop materials that help to heighten the visibility and effectiveness of physical activity and positive nutrition campaigns and curricula in Black communities. We will discuss programs field-tested in Milwaukee, WI; Philadelphia, PA; and Greensboro, NC. We will also discuss a cultural competence tool developed for educators' use in assessing nutrition and physical activity curricula. We will discuss the elements of that tool and its possible applications. We will also provide, for participants' viewing, copies of the cultural competence tool. We will discuss lessons learned in culturally adapting existing curricula, activities and materials for African American families with young children and early childhood educators. Implications for future efforts will be discussed in terms of planning, implementation, evaluation, dissemination and sustainability of curricula and promotional campaigns.