Assessing Nutrition and Physical Activity: Leveraging Head Start to Help Kids Get a Healthy Start
Presentation
Overview
Overview
Description
Background and Purpose: Children in Head Start come from economically disadvantaged background and are at high risk for poor health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to offer suggestions for Head Start programs to address threats to the health of children participating in Head Start, as they are likely to be at heightened risk for negative health indicators in early childhood as well as negative health outcomes (both physical and mental) throughout life.
Description: The current study grew out of efforts from researchers at Indiana State University to partner with a Head Start in southern Indiana to conduct a study examining nutrition, physical activity, and body composition among children in the Head Start program. The program assessed physical health and nutrition of Head Start children aged 0-5 years old.
Lessons Learned: The attempted study was plagued with many challenges. The data collection and entry were inconsistent. Children’s assessments were not conducted at designated times of the school year while follow-up assessments were not conducted at recommended intervals.
Conclusions and Implications: The current project was created in order to develop suggestions for intervening and assessing nutrition and physical activity in children in Head Start with the ultimate goal of improving lifelong health for an at-risk group. The suggestions could be used in the future for Head Start programs to implement nutrition and physical activity interventions. Implementation of such interventions will benefit the overall long-term health of children participating in Head Start.
Next Steps: The authors intend to implement the suggestions by conducting an initial study with the Head Start program at Pace Community Action Agency. Results from that effort (including identification of strengths and challenges) will inform efforts to expand the study to at least two Head Start programs in Indiana, and ideally, then to a state-wide, long-term study.
