Schools as leaders in a collaborative approach to childhood obesity prevention in Missouri

Data show that overweight and obesity disproportionately affects low-income children. In Missouri, 46.6% of children ages 10-17 with a family income below 100% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) are overweight or obese while the rate for those with incomes above 400% FPL is 21.5%[i]. Schools play a vital role in addressing obesity in children. They are a major food provider for children and can encourage or restrict opportunities for physical activity during key hours of the day.

In 2013, Missouri Foundation for Health launched Healthy Schools Healthy Communities (HSHC), an ambitious effort to decrease the rates of childhood obesity by 5% in targeted Missouri communities over a 5 year period, as measured by the BMI-for-age percentile.

HSHC builds heavily upon eight years of previous obesity prevention work in Missouri during which schools were identified as critical partners in addressing obesity.

HSHC is driven by schools and community collaborations as they develop robust action plans to address barriers to improved health.  In the first year of the initiative, thirteen school districts in eleven counties were engaged, representing approximately 13,000 K-8 children. All participating school districts have a 60% or greater free & reduced lunch rate, are located in a county where the childhood obesity rate is higher than the 17.1% midpoint of Missouri, and the vast majority are located in extremely rural areas.  Early evaluation tracking shows significant promise for fostering sustainable environments that support the prevention of childhood obesity in Missouri.

[i] National Survey of Children’s Health. Available at: www.childhealthdata.org