This randomized controlled trial uses administrative public health screening data to test whether the Healthy Apple program (HAP), designed to support local implementation of national Let's Move! Child Care guidelines in San Francisco (SF), improves child care center nutrition and physical activity practices and child weight change.
In the USA, First Lady Michelle Obama started a nationwide child care initiative called 'Let's Move! Child Care' which aims to improve nutrition and physical activity practices in child care centers to promote healthy weight for children ages 0-5y. The San Francisco Child Care Wellness Collaborative, including the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) and SF Children's Council, developed a citywide Healthy Apple Program (HAP) to support local implementation of the Let's Move! initiative. The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDH) has an existing Child Care Health Program (CCHP) which provides nurse consultation and health education materials for child care centers and annual health screenings for children. The aim of this analysis is to see whether child care centers offered the HAP in addition to usual CCHP services can improve child care center nutrition and physical activity practices and child weight change better than usual CCHP services alone.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
3,493
The HAP process includes child care center providers completing a self-assessment(s), setting improvement goals, receiving technical assistance materials, attending topic-specific workshops, improving best practices, re-self-assessment and qualification for a HAP award.
Control condition
San Francisco Department of Public Health
San Francisco, California, United States
BMI percentile change
Annually, child BMI percentile is measured in Fall and about 6 months later in Spring.
Time frame: Fall to Spring (about 6 months)
Incident overweight or obesity
New cases of overweight or obesity that developed between the Fall and Spring screening during the school year. % of children who are normal weight in Fall who become overweight or obese by Spring.
Time frame: 6 months
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