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In the United States 80% of obese adolescents, 50% of obese preschool-aged children, and 50% of school-aged children are prone to develop adult obesity. Health education and physical activity for children at risk for obesity are key to mitigating the risk of developing obesity as an adult. Health education and physical activity complement each other, improving children's behaviors and attitudes towards health. This study builds upon an existing body of knowledge about the prevention of obesity and long-term morbidity among rural youth from disadvantage backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to improve the attitudes and behaviors towards healthy eating through combining health education and physical activity among children of Macon County, Alabama. We conducted a mixed method design with a cluster sample of 11 participants. We used a pre/posttest lifestyle student created questionnaire guided by the Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM) lifestyle questionnaire and the Simple Lifestyle Indicator Questionnaire to characterize health behaviors (i.e., consumed vegetables, fruits, sweet drinks and water) and attitudes (i.e., enjoyment of exercise, emotional eating, ways of staying active when the weather is bad). Our study concluded that an interactive health education and physical activity interventions positively influenced healthy eating behaviors and attitudes in nine out of eleven participants for attitudes and six out of eleven participants for behaviors on healthy eating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This article describes how the Community Readiness Model was used to assess stage of readiness for childhood obesity prevention in a southern, rural county. Sample: Ten key informants were interviewed for the qualitative assessment of community readiness for change and 100 county residents completed the attitudes for health promotion and disease prevention survey. Methods: Using the Community Readiness Model as a guide, key informant interviews were conducted by the investigators in a rural county in the south located in the underserved area known as the Black Belt. An interview template that examined community readiness for childhood obesity prevention was used by the investigators. Questions focused on attitudes towards children's physical activity and children's nutrition. In addition, questions regarding confidence in their community's ability to reduce childhood obesity, their schools and community's responsibility to address childhood obesity and who they thought might be interested in participating in a coalition to prevent childhood obesity were asked. Results: The mean overall community readiness score for the 10 informants was 3.06, which corresponds with the vague awareness stage of readiness. The lowest scores were for knowledge of the issue of childhood obesity, resources available, and community climate in regards to childhood obesity. All of these scored in the denial/resistance stage of change. Conclusions: Before interventions can successfully be implemented within a community, community readiness for prevention programs and willingness to change must be assessed. The overall CRM scores demonstrate that this county ranged from denial/resistance to vague awareness stages of change. These scores indicate that residents of this community may not be aware of the significance of childhood obesity in their community and efforts to move the community to a more active stage of change must be taken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When devising strategies to combat obesity, strategies focusing on children should be utilized since health-related behaviors track into adulthood. One strategy that begins to address, and brings awareness to, the rising obesity rates and other health disparities in adults is the utilization of community health fairs. Previous literature has described how to conduct an adult health fair using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, but no study has shown how to conduct a health fair for children. This article explains how a CBPR approach was used to develop a health fair focused on obesity prevention for children. A partnership between the community and a local university was formed to assist in the planning and implementation of a health fair. While the data obtained from the health fair served as a needs assessment for future projects, the health fair was also a good first step in developing relationships and trust among the partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To increase fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption of youth in Body Quest: Food of the Warrior (BQ), a childhood obesity prevention program. Design: Quasi-experimental. Setting: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education eligible schools (n = 60). Participants: Third-grade students (n = 2,477). Intervention: Treatment groups (n = 1,674) self-reported foods consumed through the School Lunch Program for 17 weekly assessments; they participated in BQ curriculum, iPad app education, and weekly FV tastings. Control groups (n = 803) completed only pre- and post-assessments. Main Outcome Measure: Weekly FV consumed through School Lunch Program, Analysis: ANCOVA and growth modeling. Results: From before to after the program, the treatment group demonstrated significant, moderate increases in fruit (P < .01) and vegetable (P < .001) consumptions, increasing from 7 to 8 weekly FV servings. After the program, the treatment group consumed significantly (P < ,001) more FV than the control group. Fruit and vegetable consumption increased to class 10 and then stabilized. From before to after the program, all FV predictors were significantly higher and included gender (vegetables), race (FV), and free/reduced lunch (fruit). Conclusions and Implications: Nutrition programs can increase FV intake. Even moderate increases in FV intake can be an initial step for the prevention of chronic disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]