Current Status and Needs Assessment for Obesity Prevention and Management Project at Public Health Centers

Purpose@#The obesity prevention and management program led by public health centers are important in the community.This study aims to identify the current status of obesity prevention and management programs at public health centers and perceptions regarding facilitators and barriers when implementing programs. @*Methods@#This study used a concurrent mixed methods design. A survey was conducted to investigate the current status and infrastructure of the obesity prevention and management program at eighty-three public health centers nationwide. Nine program managers and six local residents with experience in the program were interviewed by using a semi-structured questionnaires. @*Results@#Most of the infrastructure facilities for the program were inadequate, and insufficient budgets and lack of professional staff were identified as barriers. Facilitators included diversification of program delivery methods, operator competence, and visible outcomes and rewards. For the effectiveness of the program, it is vital to have adequate assistants, a sufficient budget, various promotional methods, and connections with various institutions in the community. On this basis, it is acknowledged that the public health center serves as a platform for preventing and managing obesity in the community. Conclusion: It is expected that infrastructure improvements in public health centers and the link with community resources are needed. In addition, there is an urgent need to set standards for obesity prevention and management programs implemented in public health centers to ‘resolve regional disparities’.

Who are the Assistant Cooks at the Community Child Centers in South Korea? Focus Group Interviews with Workfare Program Participants

Purpose@#Community child centers (CCCs) were introduced to provide after-school activities and care, including meal services to children from low-income families. The assistant cooks, who have the main responsibility for making and serving food at CCCs, are a major factor influencing the eating habits of children using CCCs. In this study, we tried to identify and understand who the assistant cooks are, what their job responsibilities are, and what they need in order to be able to provide children with healthy meals. @*Methods@#Three focus group interviews were held with 17 workfare program participants who worked as assistant cooks at CCCs, and content analysis methods were applied using the NVivo 12 qualitative data analysis software. @*Results@#The assistant cooks reflected on their perceptions of the children's health at the CCCs, their own cooking style, and their role at the CCCs. Additionally, barriers to the optimal provision of their services were pointed out, and improvements were suggested. @*Conclusion@#The results of this study can be used as a fundamental resource for the development of tailored interventions that consider a child's unique environment to address health disparities, specifically with respect to childhood obesity.