Scale-out of a community-based behavioral intervention for childhood obesity: pilot implementation evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Expanding the use of evidence-based behavioral interventions in community settings has met with limited success in various health outcomes as fidelity and dose of clinical interventions are often diluted when translated to communities. We conducted a pilot implementation study to examine adoption of the rigorously evaluated Healthier Families Program by Parks and Recreation centers in 3 cities across the country (MI, GA, NV) with diverse socio-cultural environments. METHODS: Using the RE-AIM framework, we evaluated the program both quantitatively (pre/post surveys of health behavior change; attendance & fidelity) and qualitatively (interviews with Parks and Recreation staff and participants following the program). RESULTS: The 3 partner sites recruited a total of 26 parent-child pairs. REACH: Among the 24 participants who completed pre/post surveys, 62.5% were 25-34 years old, and average child age was 3.6 (SD 0.7) years. The distribution of self-reported race/ethnicity was 54% non-Hispanic White, 38% non-Hispanic Black, and 8% Latino. EFFECTIVENESS: Qualitative interviews with participants demonstrated increased use of the built environment for physical activity and continued use of key strategies for health behavior change. ADOPTION: Three of five (60%) collaborating sites proceeded with implementation of the program. IMPLEMENTATION: The average attendance for the 12-week program was 7.6 (SD 3.9) sessions, with 71% attending > 50% of sessions. Average fidelity for the 12 weekly sessions was 25.2 (SD 1.2; possible range 9-27). MAINTENANCE: All 3 partner sites continued offering the program after grant funding was complete. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot is among the first attempts to scale-out an evidence-based childhood obesity intervention in community Parks and Recreation centers. While this pilot was not intended to confirm the efficacy of the original trial on Body Mass Index (BMI) reduction, the effective and sustained behavior change among a geographically and ethnically diverse population with high attendance and fidelity demonstrates an effective approach on which to base future large-scale implementation efforts to reduce childhood obesity in community settings.

Community readiness assessment for obesity research: pilot implementation of the Healthier Families programme.

BACKGROUND: This article reports on the development of a systematic approach to assess for community readiness prior to implementation of a behavioural intervention for childhood obesity. Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), we developed research tools to evaluate local community centres' organisational readiness and their capacity to implement the intervention. METHODS: Four community Parks and Recreation centres from different states expressed interest in piloting an approach for dissemination and implementation of an evidence-based obesity prevention program for families with young children (Healthier Families). We conducted a mixed methods pre-implementation evaluation using the CFIR to evaluate the alignment of organisational priorities with the Healthier Families programme. Written surveys assessed organisational readiness for change amongst organisational leaders, recreation programmers, and staff (N = 25). Key informant interviews were conducted among staff to assess organisational readiness and with community members to assess community readiness (N = 64). Surveys were analysed with univariate statistics. Interviews were transcribed, coded and analysed using inductive and deductive methods of analysis. RESULTS: Mixed-methods analysis led to the identification of three key domains on which to assess the organisational readiness to adopt a childhood obesity intervention, namely the physical infrastructure, the knowledge infrastructure, and the social infrastructure. The most critical measure of compatibility was the social infrastructure, since obstacles in the knowledge and physical infrastructures could be overcome by the strength of social resources, including the staff's ingenuity and commitment to a healthier community. This approach guided an assessment of organisational readiness prior to community organisations adopting and preparing to disseminate an obesity prevention community-based program in a wide-range of social and environmental contexts. CONCLUSIONS: Using a comprehensive pre-implementation assessment of the knowledge, physical and social infrastructures in a community is an essential step in effective dissemination for community-based behavioural interventions. Our research found that, when evaluating readiness and alignment, a responsive social infrastructure could provide the capacity to overcome potential barriers to implementation in either the knowledge or physical infrastructures.

Enhancing body image satisfaction and well-being among early adolescents: Feasibility and preliminary outcomes of the mind. body. voice. program.

Although most research has emphasized high-school and college-aged women, body dissatisfaction and eating disorder behavior are also a concern for middle-school girls. We partnered with Girls Inc., a community-based organization to explore feasibility and preliminary outcomes of the mind. body. voice. (m.b.v.) program with a middle-school-aged cohort. The program was collaboratively designed with youth, focusing on body image satisfaction, disordered eating risk factors, and mental health and well-being. The work occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering a unique opportunity to assess the promise of the program under difficult extenuating circumstances. In an open-trial design, we assessed change from pre- to post-program administered with two cohorts, one delivered remotely in 2020 (n = 17) and one in-person in 2021 (n = 13). Findings indicated that participation in the m.b.v. program was associated among both cohorts with significant decreases in negative body judgment and adherence to cultural appearance biases, and significant increases in body awareness, agency, and positive self-regard, as well as significant reductions in negative affect. Results support the feasibility and promise of both remote and in-person administration of the program targeting young adolescents, and in partnership with a well-established community-based organization.

Feasibility evaluation of the Reaching Out to Kids with Emotional Trauma (ROcKET) intervention in an elementary school: a single-arm, single-centre, feasibility study based on the RE-AIM framework.

OBJECTIVE: The study purpose was to describe feasibility of implementation of the Reaching Out to Kids with Emotional Trauma (ROcKET) intervention. We hypothesised that the ROcKET Intervention would be feasible in a poor resource school. DESIGN: We performed a single-arm, single-centr feasibility study of an intervention pilot, based on the RE-AIM framework. SETTING: The intervention was delivered in a single K-4th elementary charter school in the Nashville, TN area, in a low-resource community. PARTICIPANTS: 57 elementary school children attending our partner school and reporting exposure to at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE) and their parents. INTERVENTIONS: The Reaching Out to Kids with Emotional Trauma (ROcKET) intervention is a school-based multilevel intervention (individual child, family and school) that promotes positive health behaviours in children who have been exposed to ACEs. OUTCOMES: Outcomes were gathered qualitatively via focus groups. The primary outcome was feasibility. The secondary outcomes were implementation outcomes according to the RE-AIM framework, including Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption and Implementation. RESULTS: Of 105 eligible children, 57 children and their parents participated (54%) with 31 (54%) girls, 47 (82%) Black/African American, 5 (9%) Hispanic and 5 (9%) white. The school staff implemented all planned ROcKET sessions with >90% fidelity in each session, and 52 (91%) of children who completed the final intervention session went on to complete 6 month follow-up assessments. The average attendance at the in-school child sessions was 57 students (87%), and 35 (61%) of parents attended at least one family session, with 25 (44%) of parents attending at least half of the family sessions. 13 (23%) parents participated in the focus groups. Qualitative data suggested high parent participant satisfaction, uptake of positive health behaviours targeted by the intervention and increased quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that the ROcKET intervention was feasible and acceptably delivered in a local elementary school with high reach to low-income and minority populations. These data suggest that schools, especially those serving low-income and minority children, can be an appropriate avenue for interventions designed to address health disparities. Data from this study will be used to advise a pilot study of the intervention.

Relational Approaches to Community-Based Health Promotion Across Scales of Practice.

In this article, we describe a personalized approach to meeting individual and community health needs that foregrounds relational learning. This article analyzes how relational approaches to learning expand participants' objectives and result in more enduring learning. We report on mixed methods data from interviews, focus groups, surveys, and goal setting and monitoring. Analyses reveal that relationships de confianza served as a central tool in supporting participants' agency to enact change across scales of practice to promote the health of themselves, their families, and their communities.

Qualitative analysis of COACH: A community-based behavioral intervention to reduce obesity health disparities within a marginalized community.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to conduct a qualitative evaluation of a behavioral intervention to prevent and treat childhood obesity in minority children. Using qualitative methods to augment understanding of intervention success may be one way to gain insight into the types of behavior change strategies that are most effective in childhood obesity interventions. METHODS: COACH was a randomized controlled trial of 117 Latino parent-child (ages 3-5) pairs in Nashville, TN that resulted in improved child BMI in intervention vs. control families at 1-year follow-up. All participant parents were invited to focus groups after the trial. Discussions were audiotaped, transcribed, and translated into English. A hierarchical coding scheme was generated, and qualitative analysis done using an inductive/deductive approach. Both theme saturation and consensus between the coders were achieved. Responses were compared between intervention and control groups. RESULTS: We conducted seven focus groups with 43 participants. 4 themes emerged from the intervention group: 1) perceived barriers to health behavior change; 2) strategies learned to overcome perceived barriers; 3) behavioral changes made in response to the program; and 4) knowledge, skills, and agency for family health behaviors. 4 themes emerged from the control group: 1) a desire to engage in health behaviors without specific strategies; 2) common set of barriers to health behavior change; 3) engagement in literacy activities, including creative problem-solving strategies; and 4) changes made in response to study visits. Analysis of coded data showed the intervention increased healthy behaviors (e.g., fruit/vegetable consumption) despite barriers (e.g., time, cost, culture, family dynamics). Intervention participants described using specific behavior change strategies promoted by the intervention including: substituting ingredients in culturally-normative recipes; avoiding grocery shopping when hungry; and coping with inability to meet goals with acceptance and problem-solving. Control participants reported little success in achieving healthy changes for their family. Intervention participants described successful health behavior changes that were shared across generations and were maintained after the program. Intervention participants reported increased awareness of their own agency in promoting their health. CONCLUSIONS: Qualitative evaluation of COACH provides a more detailed understanding of the intervention's quantitative effectiveness: child and adult health behaviors and personal agency were improved.

Competency-Based Approaches to Community Health: A Randomized Controlled Trial to Reduce Childhood Obesity among Latino Preschool-Aged Children.

Background: Health behavior change interventions that target childhood obesity in minority populations have led to inconsistent and short-lived results. The purpose of this study was to test a novel intervention that was personalized and family-based in a Latino population to reduce childhood obesity. Methods: Competency-Based Approaches to Community Health (COACH) was a randomized controlled trial. Latino parent-child pairs were recruited from community settings in Nashville, TN. Child eligibility criteria included age 3-5 years and a BMI ≥50th percentile. The intervention included 15 weekly, 90-minute sessions followed by 3 months of twice-monthly health coaching calls. The control group was a twice-monthly school readiness curriculum for 3 months. Sessions were conducted by a health coach in local community centers, with groups of 8-11 parent-child pairs. The primary outcome was child BMI trajectory across 12 months, measured at four times. The intervention's effect was assessed by using a longitudinal, linear mixed-effects growth model, adjusting for child gender, baseline child and parent age, and baseline parent BMI and education. Results: Of the 305 parent-child pairs assessed for eligibility, 117 were randomized (59 intervention, 58 control). Child BMI was available for 91.5% at 1-year follow-up. Mean baseline child age was 4.2 [standard deviation (SD) = 0.8] years, and 53.8% of children were female. Mean baseline child BMI was 18.1 (SD = 2.6) kg/m2. After adjusting for covariates, the intervention's effect on linear child BMI growth was -0.41 kg/m2 per year (95% confidence interval -0.82 to 0.01; p = 0.05). Conclusions: Over 1-year follow-up, the intervention resulted in slower linear BMI growth for Latino preschool-aged children from poverty.

Maternal conception of gestational weight gain among Latinas: A qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: Interventions to support healthy gestational weight gain are often ineffective. The objective was to develop a model of how pregnant Latinas-who have a higher risk of poor maternal and neonatal weight-related outcomes-conceptualize healthy gestational weight gain, providing guidance for future interventions. METHOD: Ten focus groups with 50 pregnant Latinas were conducted by a native Spanish-speaking female moderator. On the basis of participant responses, we used grounded theory to inductively develop a personal conceptual framework for gestational weight gain. RESULTS: Commonly identified barriers to being active and healthy eating included negative emotions, body image, physical discomfort, low energy, and lack of motivation. Women identified sociocultural issues such as a sense of isolation from family (among immigrants) and the degree of perceived social support as important contributors to health behaviors. Two personal health schemas emerged from participant responses. The "mother-child health schema" describes the degree to which participants recognized the interrelatedness of health needs for baby and for themselves. The "attention to gestational weight gain schema" describes how a respondent's attention to and perceived importance of gestational weight gain influences health-related behaviors during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Women's sociocultural and interpersonal context influence weight-related behaviors through the lens of personal health schemas. Understanding how cognitive aspects relate to traditional behavioral determinants suggests several opportunities for intervention, such as focusing on healthy behaviors instead of numerical targets for healthy weight gain. Although derived from Spanish-speaking Latin-American women, these results may also be potential leverage points for other minority groups. (PsycINFO Database Record

Competency Based Approach to Community Health (COACH): The methods of a family-centered, community-based, individually adaptive obesity randomized trial for pre-school child-parent pairs.

Competency-Based Approaches to Community Health (COACH) is a randomized controlled trial of a family-centered, community-based, and individually-tailored behavioral intervention for childhood obesity among Latino pre-school children. COACH focuses on improving personal agency for health behavior change by tailoring content to overcome contextual barriers. The intervention focuses on diet, physical activity, sleep, media use, and engaged parenting. The content is individually adapted based on routine assessments of competency in specific health behaviors using a mobile health platform and novel measurement tools developed by our team. In response to these regular assessments, health coaches provide tailored health behavior change strategies to help families focus on the areas where they decide to improve the most. The intervention consists of a 15-week group-based intensive phase, with weekly sessions delivered by health coaches in community centers. Following weekly sessions, a 3-month maintenance phase of the intervention consists of twice monthly coaching calls for participants to focus on individual health goals for their families. The primary outcome of the trial is child body mass index trajectory over 1 year. Secondary outcomes include parent body mass index change, child waist circumference, child diet, child physical activity, and other psychosocial mediators of child health behavior change. The control arm consists of a school readiness intervention, delivered by the Nashville Public Library. By applying a personalized approach to child behavior change, in the setting of both family and community, COACH aims to develop sustainable solutions for childhood obesity by supporting healthy childhood growth in low-income, minority preschool children.