Childhood ObesityPub Date : 2025-04-01Epub Date: 2025-03-11DOI: 10.1089/chi.2024.0371
Falon T Smith, Ruth Kipping, Sze Lin Yoong, Kim Hannam, Rebecca Langford, Courtney Barnes, Jemima Cooper, Miranda Pallan, Melanie Lum, Derek Hales, Regan Burney, Michelle Herr, Erik A Willis
{"title":"Adapting the Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment: A Cross-Country Case Study of Improving Early Childhood Health Environments in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom.","authors":"Falon T Smith, Ruth Kipping, Sze Lin Yoong, Kim Hannam, Rebecca Langford, Courtney Barnes, Jemima Cooper, Miranda Pallan, Melanie Lum, Derek Hales, Regan Burney, Michelle Herr, Erik A Willis","doi":"10.1089/chi.2024.0371","DOIUrl":"10.1089/chi.2024.0371","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Background:</i></b> Child overweight and obesity is a critical global health issue with substantial individual and societal impacts necessitating early intervention to establish healthy habits. Health promoting early childhood education (ECE) settings are important as most young children attend ECEs in high- and middle-income countries. Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAPSACC) is an evidence-based approach to support improvements to ECE environment for improving child health. While adapting proven child obesity prevention interventions from other countries offers efficiency, the process is frequently underreported and insufficiently documented. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Guided by the ADAPT framework, this article describes the adaptation of NAPSACC in the United States (US), Australia (AU), and the United Kingdom (UK) from 2012 to 2023. Contextual differences in ECE systems in the US, AU, and UK and reflections on the process of adaptation were explored. <b><i>Results:</i></b> NAPSACC was successfully adapted, maintaining core theoretical components while allowing for implementation flexibility to meet varying contexts. The iterative adaptation process revealed that a flexible dynamic approach was essential for maintaining the relevance and effectiveness of the NAPSACC intervention in different contexts. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Our experience highlights the importance of ongoing iteration, international collaboration, research, and responsiveness to evolving circumstances in adaptation processes. Strong and flexible leadership, such as that demonstrated by NAPSACC's founder, Dr. Dianne S. Ward, facilitates successful adaptation and continuous improvement of public health programs. Trial registration: This paper includes multiple registered trials - NCT02889198, ACTRN12619001158156, ISRCTN16287377, and ISRCTN33134697.</p>","PeriodicalId":48842,"journal":{"name":"Childhood Obesity","volume":" ","pages":"200-212"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143606877","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Childhood ObesityPub Date : 2025-04-01Epub Date: 2025-03-10DOI: 10.1089/chi.2024.0369
Reka Vasicsek, Carolyn Rider, Richard Pulvera, Amanda Linares, Janice Kao, Miranda Westfall Brown
{"title":"Adoption of Nutrition and Physical Activity Best Practices in the Early Care and Education Setting: Examination of Differences Between Centers and Family Child Care Homes.","authors":"Reka Vasicsek, Carolyn Rider, Richard Pulvera, Amanda Linares, Janice Kao, Miranda Westfall Brown","doi":"10.1089/chi.2024.0369","DOIUrl":"10.1089/chi.2024.0369","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Background:</i></b> Early childhood interventions that support the development of healthy lifestyle behaviors are key to ensuring equitable health outcomes later in life. The aim of this article is to assess the extent to which early care and education (ECE) sites adopt best practices to support healthy diet and physical activity (PA) behaviors and whether adoption differs between centers and family child care homes (FCCHs). <b><i>Methods:</i></b> The study is a cross-sectional analysis of best practices at Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed)-eligible child care centers (<i>n</i> = 76) and FCCHs (<i>n</i> = 47) in California. Generalized linear models were used to estimate associations of facility type with eight best practice index measures in the following three areas: dietary intake (nutrition education, food and beverage quality, staff training in nutrition), PA (quantity of PA opportunities, quality of PA opportunities, environmental support for PA), and parent engagement and wellness policies (comprehensive, active parent engagement and support for wellness policy implementation, monitoring, and feedback). <b><i>Results:</i></b> Overall, ECE sites scored an average of 64.8% of maximum points possible for best practices to improve dietary intake, 81.7% for best practices to improve PA, and 51.8% in comprehensive parent engagement and wellness policies. FCCHs adhered to fewer best practices for robust nutrition education, relative to centers (β = -0.41, 95% CI [-0.70, -0.12]). Differences were also observed in individual practices between settings. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> This study highlights opportunities for programs such as SNAP-Ed to support ECE providers in implementing nutrition and PA best practices to help children ages 0-5 develop healthy habits.</p>","PeriodicalId":48842,"journal":{"name":"Childhood Obesity","volume":" ","pages":"309-318"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143587795","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tayla von Ash, Belinda O'hagan, Anusha Gupta, Naomi Deokule, Alexandra Josephson, Sumner Chmielewski, Alicia Chung
{"title":"It's Time to Put the Nap in Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAPSACC): A Systematic Review Demonstrating the Impact of Child Care on Sleep Outcomes in Early Childhood.","authors":"Tayla von Ash, Belinda O'hagan, Anusha Gupta, Naomi Deokule, Alexandra Josephson, Sumner Chmielewski, Alicia Chung","doi":"10.1089/chi.2024.0384","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2024.0384","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Background:</i></b> Child care-based interventions have largely neglected sleep as an important health behavior for obesity prevention. Child care sleep environments and caregiver practices likely differ from home sleep environments and parent practices. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We summarize findings of past research examining how child care arrangement, dose, and attendance impact young children's sleep using steps outlined by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses methodology. Keywords related to sleep and child care were entered into PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL, yielding a total of 3535 articles. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Twenty-three studies were included in the data extraction process. There was evidence indicating that child care arrangement type, dose, and attendance impact various sleep outcomes among children 0-5 years old. Considerable variation across studies with regard to child care comparison groups and sleep outcomes assessed made making comparisons across studies difficult. However, child care outside the home and increased time spent in child care were commonly positively associated with daytime sleep and negatively associated with nighttime sleep. Child care outside the home was also associated with 24-hour sleep, with decreased sleep observed among infants and toddlers but increased sleep observed among preschool-age children receiving outside care, especially in settings with mandatory naptime. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> The findings of this review demonstrate that child care impacts children's sleep. More research is needed to understand best practices for promoting sleep across child care settings and inform intervention efforts. Integrating sleep into evidence-based child care obesity prevention interventions, such as Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care, would assist in efforts to reduce obesity risk among young children.</p>","PeriodicalId":48842,"journal":{"name":"Childhood Obesity","volume":"21 3","pages":"255-272"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144008149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Childhood ObesityPub Date : 2025-04-01Epub Date: 2025-03-27DOI: 10.1089/chi.2025.0030
Cody D Neshteruk, Alice S Ammerman, Mary Story, Russell Pate, Debbie I Chang, Erik A Willis
{"title":"Honoring Dr. Dianne Stanton Ward: A Legacy of Transformative Leadership in Childhood Obesity Prevention and Health Promotion.","authors":"Cody D Neshteruk, Alice S Ammerman, Mary Story, Russell Pate, Debbie I Chang, Erik A Willis","doi":"10.1089/chi.2025.0030","DOIUrl":"10.1089/chi.2025.0030","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48842,"journal":{"name":"Childhood Obesity","volume":" ","pages":"197-199"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143732619","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Childhood ObesityPub Date : 2025-04-01Epub Date: 2024-11-27DOI: 10.1089/chi.2024.0330
Ruth P Saunders, Marsha Dowda, Dale Murrie, Christina Moyer, Russell R Pate
{"title":"Statewide Dissemination, Adoption, and Implementation of the SHAPES Intervention Via Online Professional Development to Promote Children's Physical Activity in Early Care and Education Programs.","authors":"Ruth P Saunders, Marsha Dowda, Dale Murrie, Christina Moyer, Russell R Pate","doi":"10.1089/chi.2024.0330","DOIUrl":"10.1089/chi.2024.0330","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Background:</i></b> Few evidence-based obesity interventions have been disseminated in early care and education (ECE) settings. This study describes Go SHAPES: the statewide dissemination of the Study of Health and Activity in Preschool Environments (SHAPES) intervention via online professional development, its classroom implementation, and factors associated with its implementation in ECE. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We recruited ECE teachers through professional conferences to participate in online professional development with ongoing technical assistance support to implement SHAPES in their classrooms. SHAPES integrated physical activity (PA) opportunities into the school day through the following three components-Move Inside (PA in the classroom), Move to Learn (PA in preacademic lessons), and Move Outside (PA during recess). Teachers completed a survey to assess the implementation of the disseminated intervention (Go SHAPES). Multiple logistic regression analyses identified factors associated with meeting implementation goals. <b><i>Results:</i></b> SHAPES was disseminated to 935 personnel from 434 ECE programs in South Carolina over 3 years. Eighty-three percent of the participants who began the 6-week online professional development completed all six modules, thereby adopting SHAPES. Implementation of PA opportunities in ECE classrooms was high, and 59% of teachers planned to use SHAPES fully in the future. Teachers perceiving SHAPES as \"easy to implement\" and experiencing \"no barriers\" to implementation were associated with meeting weekly goals for providing PA opportunities. Perceiving \"administrator support\" and \"program as worthwhile\" was associated with intentions to use SHAPES in the future. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Go SHAPES provides a model for statewide dissemination, adoption, and implementation of a PA program in ECE settings, using an online professional development approach.</p>","PeriodicalId":48842,"journal":{"name":"Childhood Obesity","volume":" ","pages":"213-226"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142741049","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Childhood ObesityPub Date : 2025-04-01Epub Date: 2024-12-04DOI: 10.1089/chi.2024.0341
Amy Anderson, Madeleine Hinwood, Luke Wolfenden, Maria Romiti, Alice Grady, Chris Oldmeadow, Hayley Christian, Melanie Lum, Rebecca Lorch, Gary Sacks, John Wiggers, Rebecca Hodder, Karen Gillham, Sze Lin Yoong
{"title":"Examining Changes in Implementation of Priority Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Practices, and Related Barriers, Over Time in Australian Early Childhood Education and Care Services: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study.","authors":"Amy Anderson, Madeleine Hinwood, Luke Wolfenden, Maria Romiti, Alice Grady, Chris Oldmeadow, Hayley Christian, Melanie Lum, Rebecca Lorch, Gary Sacks, John Wiggers, Rebecca Hodder, Karen Gillham, Sze Lin Yoong","doi":"10.1089/chi.2024.0341","DOIUrl":"10.1089/chi.2024.0341","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Background:</i></b> Promoting healthy eating and physical activity in early childhood education and care (ECEC) is recommended within guidelines and supported by health promotion programs; however, implementation is suboptimal. Evidence suggests implementation within the sector varies over time; however, this has not been empirically examined in relation to implementation barriers. This study aims to: (1) describe changes in the prevalence of, and barriers to, implementation of priority healthy eating and physical activity practices; and (2) explore the associations between such barriers and implementation. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> This was a repeated cross-sectional study over an 8-month period. A cross-section of 150-180 Australian ECEC services were prospectively randomly sampled for each month (April-November 2023), with 1127 ECEC services sampled in total and 20% of services sampled twice. Services reported via survey their implementation of two priority practices: (1) healthy menu standards and (2) educating and engaging parents in child physical activity. They also reported on implementation status, implementation stage, and five core implementation barriers. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Overall, 716 services completed 809 surveys. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of implementation or general trends in barriers to implementation of the two priority practices across that time. Services reporting less barriers were significantly more likely to be implementing the priority practices, and services in more advanced implementation stages were significantly less likely to report barriers. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> To enhance the implementation of priority practices in ECEC services, key barriers to implementation need to be understood and targeted to progress services through to advanced implementation stages.</p>","PeriodicalId":48842,"journal":{"name":"Childhood Obesity","volume":" ","pages":"227-236"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142781237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Childhood ObesityPub Date : 2025-04-01Epub Date: 2025-01-06DOI: 10.1089/chi.2024.0350
Lieke Vorage, Lisa Vincze, Lucy Tudehope, Neil Harris
{"title":"Barriers and Facilitators for Healthy Eating and Physical Activity: Interviews with Family Child Care Educators and Organization Staff.","authors":"Lieke Vorage, Lisa Vincze, Lucy Tudehope, Neil Harris","doi":"10.1089/chi.2024.0350","DOIUrl":"10.1089/chi.2024.0350","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Family child care (FCC) offers a promising setting for obesity prevention, yet interventions have had varied success, potentially due to insufficient stakeholder input. This study aimed to explore barriers, facilitators, and preferences for healthy eating and physical activity interventions among Australian FCC educators and organization staff. <b><i>Methodology:</i></b> Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 FCC educators and 6 staff members, using the framework method for data analysis. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Findings were organized according to the socioecological model. At the public policy level, regulations were seen as prioritizing risk avoidance over health benefits. At the community level, educators cited community programs and facilities as supportive of physical activity, noting that cultural and socioeconomic factors influence healthy eating. At the organizational level, adequate space promoted physical activity, but financial limitations impacted food provision and access to physical activity equipment. Some FCC organizations did not provide support for healthy practices. At the interpersonal level, educators and staff struggled to address unsupportive parental choices. Lastly, at the individual level, nutrition knowledge and education were deemed important for promoting healthy eating, with picky eating as a common obstacle. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> To enhance healthy eating and physical activity in FCC, recommended strategies include training safety assessors, educators, and parents on risky play; adapting regulations to the FCC context; reimbursing food provision; enhancing opportunities for excursions and outdoor play spaces; improving communication between educators and parents and expanding educators' knowledge of nutrition and physical activity.</p>","PeriodicalId":48842,"journal":{"name":"Childhood Obesity","volume":" ","pages":"348-355"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142933227","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Childhood ObesityPub Date : 2025-04-01Epub Date: 2025-02-20DOI: 10.1089/chi.2024.0376
Cailyn A Van Camp, Anela Panlasigue, Kimberly A Clevenger, Janet L Hauck, Kerry L McIver, Karin A Pfeiffer
{"title":"Development and Testing of the Observational System for Recording Physical Activity in Children-Toddlers.","authors":"Cailyn A Van Camp, Anela Panlasigue, Kimberly A Clevenger, Janet L Hauck, Kerry L McIver, Karin A Pfeiffer","doi":"10.1089/chi.2024.0376","DOIUrl":"10.1089/chi.2024.0376","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Background:</i></b> Direct observation (DO) tools developed for preschoolers have been used to describe toddler physical activity (PA). No DO system created to assess PA levels and the childcare environment of toddlers exists. The purpose of this study was to develop the Observational System for Recording Physical Activity in Children-Toddlers (OSRAC-T) and assess the inter- and intra-rater reliability. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> This tool is an extension of the Observational System for Recording Physical Activity in Children-Preschool and uses the same focal child, time sampling system (5-second observation and 25-second recording). Tool content was established through identifying similar research, consulting with experts, and conducting informal observations. A sample of toddlers (12-36 months) was observed and video recorded during childcare. In-person observations were compared to video observations from one coder (intrarater reliability). Video observations (39% of intervals) were coded by two raters to determine interrater reliability. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The final instrument included nine categories that described PA level and type, social and environmental contexts, and transition support relevant to toddlers. Observers completed 124 observation sessions (<i>n</i> = 31; 25.5 ± 6.0 months) resulting in 7,757 30-second observation intervals. Interval-by-interval agreement was moderate to high (58.90%-95.30%) for all categories, and interrater reliability was low to moderate (<i>k</i> = 0.28-0.69). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> The OSRAC-T is a reliable observation system to assess several PA-related behaviors of toddlers. It may be used to better inform early childcare center design, future intervention studies, or to assess correlates or relationships between PA behavior and health outcomes in toddlers.</p>","PeriodicalId":48842,"journal":{"name":"Childhood Obesity","volume":" ","pages":"356-364"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143460400","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marilyn Frenn, Nita Salzman, Vy Lam, Mary Holtz, Andrea Moosreiner, Mauricio Garnier-Villarreal, Maharaj Singh
{"title":"Childhood Obesity Body Mass Index and Gut Microbiome: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Pilot Feasibility Study.","authors":"Marilyn Frenn, Nita Salzman, Vy Lam, Mary Holtz, Andrea Moosreiner, Mauricio Garnier-Villarreal, Maharaj Singh","doi":"10.1089/chi.2024.0344","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2024.0344","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Background:</i></b> Prebiotic fiber has been examined as a way to foster gut bacteria less associated with obesity. Tests of prebiotic fiber in reducing obesity have occurred mainly in animals, adults, and Caucasians when the highest obesity rates are in African American and Latinx youth. Response to prebiotic fiber is determined by the pre-existing intestinal microbiota. The type of microbiota varies based on diet and physical activity (PA), so it is important to examine acceptability and response to prebiotic fiber in those most at risk for obesity. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> This cluster randomized controlled feasibility trial included an online program designed to improve diet and PA along with administration of prebiotic fiber for 12 weeks in 123 4th and 5th grade students where 98% were eligible for free or reduced fee lunch. Of these 56% were male; 71% Latinx; 15% African American; and 14% Other. <b><i>Results:</i></b> A decrease in body fat (BF) was associated with higher pre-test BF. Lower BMI was associated with a decrease in fecal <i>Tenericutes</i> and an increase in <i>Actinobacteria</i>. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Prebiotic fiber was evaluated in additional studies. Determining those most responsive to prebiotic fiber can also permit individual recommendations for greater inclusion in usual diet choices.</p>","PeriodicalId":48842,"journal":{"name":"Childhood Obesity","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143665022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sujata Dixit-Joshi, Katrina Sarson, Parke Wilde, Erin Hennessy, Gayle L Kelly, Peter Bakun, Susan B Roberts, Katherine Alonso, Christina D Economos
{"title":"Availability, Participation, and Interest in Workplace Wellness Programs for Head Start Educators.","authors":"Sujata Dixit-Joshi, Katrina Sarson, Parke Wilde, Erin Hennessy, Gayle L Kelly, Peter Bakun, Susan B Roberts, Katherine Alonso, Christina D Economos","doi":"10.1089/chi.2024.0385","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2024.0385","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Background:</i></b> Head Start (HS) is the largest federally funded early childhood education program in the United States. It prepares children socially, emotionally, and academically and sets the foundation for school readiness and academic success. In 2024, the Head Start Program Performance Standards were updated to provide enhanced support and workforce stability, including improvements in health and wellness. This study assessed the availability, participation, satisfaction, and interest in Workplace Wellness Programs (WWPs) for HS educators. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> An electronic survey was sent to nearly 74,000 HS grantees and educators; 2,611 complete surveys were included in the analysis. Descriptive analyses examined the availability, participation, satisfaction, and interest in WWPs, and multivariate regression analyses identified factors associated with WWP participation. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Approximately 71% of HS educators reported access to at least one WWP. The most common programs available were health education and promotion (51%), stress management (25%), and healthy lunch and snack options (20%). Participation rates for available programs ranged from 6% to 93%, and interest in unavailable programs ranged from 40% to 93%. Job dissatisfaction was associated with lower odds of participating in any WWP or in health education and wellness programs. Receipt of community food assistance was associated with lower odds of participating in nutrition and stress management programs. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> There is considerable variability in availability, participation, and interest in WWPs among HS educators. Research is needed to understand if expression of interest would translate into take-up of WWPs, identify strategies to reduce barriers, and increase participation.</p>","PeriodicalId":48842,"journal":{"name":"Childhood Obesity","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143617596","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}