Healthy Living Cambridge Kids: a community-based participatory effort to promote healthy weight and fitness

Obesity (Silver Spring). 2010 Feb:18 Suppl 1:S45-53. doi: 10.1038/oby.2009.431.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of a community-based healthy weight intervention on child weight and fitness. Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) have monitored BMI and fitness annually since 2000. Annual increases of overweight and obesity from 2000 (37.0%) to 2004 (39.1%), triggered a multidisciplinary team of researchers, educators, health care, and public health professionals to mobilize environmental and policy interventions. Guided by the social-ecological model and community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles, the team developed and implemented Healthy Living Cambridge Kids (HLCK), a multicomponent intervention targeting community, school, family, and individuals. The intervention included city policies and community awareness campaigns; physical education (PE) enhancements, food service reforms, farm-to-school-to-home programs; and family outreach and "BMI and fitness reports". Baseline (2004) to follow-up (2007) evaluation design assessed change in children's weight and fitness status. A cohort of 1,858 K-5th grade children participated: 37.3% black, 14.0% Hispanic, 37.1% white, 10.2% Asian, 1.7% other race; 43.3% were lower income. BMI z-score (0.67-0.63 P < 0.001) and proportion obese (20.2-18.0% P < 0.05) decreased, and mean number of fitness tests (0-5) passed increased (3.7-3.9 P < 0.001). Whereas black and Hispanic children were more likely to be obese at baseline (27.0 and 28.5%, respectively) compared with white (12.6%) and Asian (14.3%) children, obesity among all race/ethnicity groups declined. Concurrent with a 3-year community intervention, modest improvements in obesity and fitness were observed among CPS children from baseline to follow-up. The CBPR approach facilitated sustaining policies and program elements postintervention in this diverse community.

MeSH terms

  • Body Mass Index
  • Body Weight / physiology*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cohort Studies
  • Community Participation*
  • Community-Based Participatory Research*
  • Ethnicity
  • Female
  • Health Promotion / methods*
  • Health Promotion / organization & administration
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Massachusetts
  • Obesity / epidemiology
  • Obesity / prevention & control
  • Overweight / epidemiology
  • Overweight / prevention & control*
  • Physical Fitness / physiology*
  • Prevalence
  • Program Evaluation
  • Schools