Assessing childhood obesity programs in low-socioeconomic and diverse communities

Childhood obesity disproportionately affects low-socioeconomic and diverse communities. After a national children's health care quality organization announced a request for programs addressing the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity, 80 programs were received. The objective of this study was to identify a best practice for addressing childhood obesity in low-socioeconomic and diverse communities.

A secondary analysis of the 80 programs was conducted in spring 2007 using a framework developed after a mini literature review using PubMed and Google, a review of the recommendations from the 1998 national childhood obesity expert committee, and 5 semistructured interviews with childhood obesity key informants.

The key informants unanimously recommended that obesity reduction programs in low-socioeconomic and diverse communities should combine 4 themes: lifestyle changes, family-centeredness, prevention, and early community involvement. These 4 themes were combined in 50% of the 80 programs.

An evidence-based best practice for reducing childhood obesity in low-socioeconomic and diverse communities could not be identified utilizing the 4 themes recommended by the key informants. Preliminary data suggest that 1 academic program may offer promise for addressing childhood obesity in low-socioeconomic and diverse communities and improved data collection.