Parents in: Childhood obesity out

Childhood obesity is a serious public health problem reaching epidemic proportions, tripling in the last thirty years. Its link to the rise in type-2 diabetes in children is alarming. An unhealthy diet and inadequate physical activity (PA) are the two main contributors to this problem. Parents/caregivers are instrumental in shaping healthy lifestyle habits in their children; and play a vital role in mitigating this problem. To best inform program development, graduate students conducted a targeted needs and asset assessment(NA+A) with children, staff, counselors, and parents at the Boys and Girls Club in Redlands, CA. Data were collected through windshield surveys, observations, literature reviews, 10 theory-based key informant interviews, and two confirmatory focus groups. Data were coded, themed and analyzed using Grounded Theory methods. Results indicated that parents/caregivers lacked insight about specific causes of childhood obesity and did not think their children had weight problems. Staff voiced the need for a long-term and aggressive intervention for addressing this ever-increasing problem. All respondents voiced the desire to stage a children's health camp during the summer for a residential approach to nutrition and PA education for children ages 10-12 with a parental/caregiver component occurring in the evenings. The curriculum centered on fun-filled, hands on activities, gardening, and family focused workshops— with cooking demonstrations for preparing inexpensive and healthy meals, making it fun for everyone. We implemented the pilot program with the assistance of Staff and Counselors and evaluated it using process and impact evaluation for program improvement and sustainability.