Top

Maternal and Child Health Journal

Published in:

Open Access 17-10-2023 | Obesity | From the Field

Assessing the Feasibility of Partnering with a Home Visiting Program for Early Childhood Obesity Prevention

Authors: Julie M. Kapp, Brian Hall, Allison Kemner

Published in: Maternal and Child Health Journal | Issue 2/2024

Abstract

Purpose

Little empirical data exists evaluating the feasibility of partnering with established home visiting programs to implement early childhood obesity prevention programs, despite the recommendation to do so. To inform this gap, we evaluated the feasibility of collecting anthropometric measurements of children by home visitors across multiple sites, and the alignment of these measurements with children in need, including with adverse family experiences (AFEs) given emerging evidence suggests an association with childhood obesity.

Description

Our proof-of-concept study included primary data collection of child anthropometric measurements through an established home visiting program in four states. This sample included 248 children ages 6 months to 5 years.

Assessment

In the sample, 37.1% of the children had overweight or obesity, 50% were female, 64.2% Hispanic/Latinx, 15.8% non-Hispanic Black, and 42.3% from rural/small towns. Households included substantial needs: 87.1% were low income, 73.8% low education, and 59.3% underemployment. Regarding AFEs, 38.3% of the children had at least one, with the most common being mothers who were treated violently. A multivariable model revealed community type, not AFEs, was significantly associated with overweight/obesity status, suggesting children in suburban and especially rural/small town residences (odds ratio 5.11; 95% CI [1.59, 16.39]) could be priority populations for childhood obesity prevention programs.

Conclusion

Findings of this multi-site study inform the feasibility of partnering with home visiting programs to reach and measure a diverse sample of children and families in need of childhood obesity prevention.

Befort, C. A., Nazir, N., & Perri, M. G. (2012). Prevalence of obesity among adults from rural and urban areas of the United States: Findings from NHANES (2005–2008). The Journal of Rural Health, 28(4), 392–397. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-0361.2012.00411.xCrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, & National Center for Health Statistics. (2021). Obesity and Overweight. Retrieved July 8, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/obesity-overweight.htm

Division of Nutrition; Physical Activity; and Obesity; National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2019a). A SAS Program for the 2000 CDC Growth Charts (ages 0 to <20 years). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved August 5, 2019, from https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/growthcharts/resources/sas.htm

Division of Nutrition; Physical Activity; and Obesity; National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2019b). A SAS Program for the WHO Growth Charts (ages 0 to <2 years). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved July 16, 2019, from https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/growthcharts/resources/sas-who.htm

Felitti, V. J., Anda, R. F., Nordenberg, D., Williamson, D. F., Spitz, A. M., Edwards, V., Koss, M. P., & Marks, J. S. (1998). Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. American Journal of Preventice Medicine, 14(4), 245–258. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0749-3797(98)00017-8CrossRef

Fryar, C. D., Carroll, M. D., & Afful, J. (2020). Prevalence of overweight, obesity, and severe obesity among children and adolescents aged 2–19 years: United States, 1963–1965 through 2017–2018. National Center for Health Statistics Health E-Stats. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/obesity-child-17-18/overweight-obesity-child-H.pdf

Gardner, R., Feely, A., Layte, R., Williams, J., & McGavock, J. (2019). Adverse childhood experiences are associated with an increased risk of obesity in early adolescence: A population-based prospective cohort study. Pediatric Research, 86(4), 522–528. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-019-0414-8CrossRefPubMed

Healthy People 2030. (2021). Reduce the proportion of children and adolescents with obesity—NWS‑04. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved July 8, 2021, from https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/overweight-and-obesity/reduce-proportion-children-and-adolescents-obesity-nws-04

Hruby, A., & Hu, F. B. (2015). The epidemiology of obesity: A big picture. PharmacoEconomics, 33(7), 673–689. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40273-014-0243-xCrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Hu, K., & Staiano, A. E. (2022). Trends in obesity prevalence among children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years in the US from 2011 to 2020. JAMA Pediatrics, 176(10), 1037–1039. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.2052CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Kapp, J. M., Hall, B., & Kemner, A. (2020). Collecting early childhood obesity measurements through a home visiting program: A proof-of-concept study. Preventing Chronic Dissease, 17, E169. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd17.200214CrossRef

Lynch, B. A., Agunwamba, A., Wilson, P. M., Kumar, S., Jacobson, R. M., Phelan, S., Cristiani, V., Fan, C., & Finney Rutten, L. J. (2016). Adverse family experiences and obesity in children and adolescents in the United States. Preventive Medicine, 90, 148–154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.06.035CrossRefPubMed

Maggi, S., Irwin, L. G., Siddiqi, A., Poureslami, I., Hertzman, E., & Hertzman, C. (2005). Knowledge network for early child development. Analytic and strategic review paper: International perspectives on early child development. World Health Organization’s Commission on the Social Determinants of Health. http://www.who.int/social_determinants/resources/ecd.pdf?ua=1

McKelvey, L. M., Saccente, J. E., & Swindle, T. M. (2019). Adverse childhood experiences in infancy and toddlerhood predict Obesity and health outcomes in middle childhood. Childhood Obesity, 15(3), 206–215. https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2018.0225CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Merrick, M. T., Ford, D. C., Ports, K. A., Guinn, A. S., Chen, J., Klevens, J., Metzler, M., Jones, C. M., Simon, T. R., Daniel, V. M., Ottley, P., & Mercy, J. A. (2019). Vital signs: Estimated proportion of adult health problems attributable to adverse childhood experiences and implications for prevention—25 States, 2015–2017. MMWR Morbidity Mortality Weekly Report, 68(44), 999–1005. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6844e1CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Division of Violence Prevention. (2019). About the CDC-Kaiser ACE study. Retrieved January 8, 2019, from https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childabuseandneglect/acestudy/about.html

Patterson, P. D., Moore, C. G., Probst, J. C., & Shinogle, J. A. (2004). Obesity and physical inactivity in rural America. The Journal of Rural Health, 20(2), 151–159. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-0361.2004.tb00022.xCrossRefPubMed

Salvy, S. J., de la Haye, K., Galama, T., & Goran, M. I. (2017). Home visitation programs: An untapped opportunity for the delivery of early childhood obesity prevention. Obesity Reviews, 18(2), 149–163. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12482CrossRefPubMed

Siddiqi, A., Irwin, L. G., & Hertzman, C. (2007). Total environment assessment model for early child development. World Health Organization’s Commission on the Social Determinants of Health. http://www.who.int/social_determinants/resources/ecd_kn_evidence_report_2007.pdf?ua=1

Swinburn, B., Gill, T., & Kumanyika, S. (2005). Obesity prevention: A proposed framework for translating evidence into action. Obesity Reviews, 6(1), 23–33. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-789X.2005.00184.xCrossRefPubMed

Taveras, E. M. (2016). Childhood obesity risk and prevention: Shining a lens on the first 1000 days. Childhood Obesity, 12(3), 159–161. https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2016.0088CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Traube, D. E., Molina, A. P., YingWangKay, S., & Kemner, A. (2022). Perinatal mental health support and early childhood home visitation during COVID-19. Prevention Science, 23(2), 260–270. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-021-01313-9CrossRefPubMed

Wang, Y., Beydoun, M. A., Liang, L., Caballero, B., & Kumanyika, S. K. (2008). Will all Americans become overweight or obese? estimating the progression and cost of the US obesity epidemic. Obesity, 16(10), 2323–2330. https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2008.351CrossRefPubMed

Wollesen, L., & Peifer, K. (2006). Life skills progression. An outcome and intervention planning instrument for use with families at risk. Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., Inc.

Zeldman, J., Varela, E. G., Gorin, A. A., Gans, K. M., Gurka, M. J., Bernier, A. V., & Mobley, A. R. (2023). Home visitation program staff attitudes and intentions towards using digital technology to educate families about preventing early childhood obesity: A qualitative study. Matern and Child Health Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-023-03731-3CrossRef

Title: Assessing the Feasibility of Partnering with a Home Visiting Program for Early Childhood Obesity Prevention
Authors: Julie M. Kapp
Brian Hall
Allison Kemner
Publication date: 17-10-2023
Publisher: Springer US
Keywords: Obesity
Obesity
Overweight
Published in: Maternal and Child Health Journal / Issue 2/2024
Print ISSN: 1092-7875
Electronic ISSN: 1573-6628
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-023-03780-8

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Assessing the Feasibility of Partnering with a Home Visiting Program for Early Childhood Obesity Prevention

Abstract

Purpose

Description

Assessment

Conclusion

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Purpose

Description

Assessment

Conclusion

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 2/2024

Combining Physician Expertise and Women’s Lived Experience to Educate Health Professionals about Preventing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Predictors of Improvement in Parental Stress After the First Three Months at Home with a Medically Fragile Infant

Stress During Pregnancy Associated with Newborn Low Birth Weight: Experiences from the State of Rhode Island

Acceptability of Dyad Care Management After Preterm Birth: A Qualitative Study

Trends in Food Insecurity Among Households with Children Participating in WIC and SNAP in California, 2005–2017

Associations Between Gestational Weight Gain, Gestational Diabetes, and Childhood Obesity Incidence