Collecting Early Childhood Obesity Measurements Through a Home Visiting Program: A Proof-of-Concept Study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatrics
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Community-based home visiting programs are crucial for early life-course interventions targeting childhood obesity prevention.
• Existing infrastructure within these programs offers a potential avenue for collecting vital child health metrics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and test a proof-of-concept protocol for collecting child weight and length/height data within the Parents as Teachers (PAT) program.
• To assess the feasibility, efficiency, family experience, and accuracy of data collection through home visiting services.

Main Methods:

• A protocol was implemented across PAT affiliates in four diverse US states.
• Data collection involved children aged 6 months to 5 years.
• Formative and process measures were assessed through parent educators and site leaders.

Main Results:

• Data collection was feasible, achieving 91% of estimated measurements.
• The process was time-efficient (median 0.5 hours per child) and positively received by families (71% enjoyment).
• Data accuracy was substantial, with 82% meeting eligibility and quality standards.

Conclusions:

• Integrating child measurement data collection into established home visiting programs like PAT is a viable strategy for early childhood obesity surveillance.
• This approach supports early intervention by providing timely and accurate health data, demonstrating positive family engagement.