Pilot Project, Year 1
Addressing health disparities in childhood obesity, one summer at a time
In Flagstaff, obesity is highly concentrated in four schools, including mostly Native American and Hispanic children, placing them at high risk for early mortality, diabetes and poor quality of life.
Recent research has demonstrated that the “obesity gap” facing minority students is largely due to summer weight gain, confirmed in our local data. However, statewide, only 22 percent of children participate in summer activities. Thus, we know which populations are at highest risk, at what developmental age changes occur most rapidly (ages 7-11) and that interventions are most needed in the summer, but that this need is not being met.
Fit Kids of Arizona was founded in 2008 to address childhood obesity in our region, but currently does not have a summer-long program. A modest amount of research has evaluated summer programming, but almost none among Native Americans/Hispanics. In 2004, the CDC developed a “Summer Scorecard’ intervention, a partnership with local businesses to provide children with a ‘”corecard” of subsidized or free local activities.
The VSS has not been tested among Hispanic and Native American children. Therefore, Fit Kids and NAU assessed the effectiveness of the VSS among children ages 7-11 in the f0ur highest risk schools in the Flagstaff area utilizing a randomized design. Primary outcomes include objectively measured participation, body composition (BMI), physical activity, sedentary behavior and self-efficacy using survey instruments previously developed and tested by the CDC.
Funding: The study is funded by NIMHD/NIH U54MD012388
About the investigators
Dirk de Heer, PhD
