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Healthy Communities Study: How Communities Shape Children’s Health

Sections

  • Study Specifics
  • Project Timeline
  • Abstract
  • Research Design & Aims
  • Logic Models
  • Data Collection Approach
  • Resources

Study Specifics

Lead/funding agency:

National Institutes of Health

Co-funders:

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Cancer Institute, National Institute on Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research

Scientific partners:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation   

Contract/grant number:

HHSN268201000041C

Link to FOA (Funding Opportunity Announcement):

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&tab=core&id=104bef8eec4f9edba681a50f71ab55e5&_cview=0&cck=1&au=&ck=

Project website:

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/research/resources/hcs/index.shtml

Last updated:

June 2015

Project Timeline

Contract award date:

August 2010

Projected completion:

August 2016

Data collection window:

October 2013-July 2015

Abstract

Community programs and policies targeting childhood obesity are being implemented across the country, but their approaches have not been systematically studied. There is natural variation in many aspects of community programs and policies, including intensity level, duration, funding, target population, and how they are implemented. However, no previous studies have examined these variations and how such aspects of community programs and policies are related to childhood obesity outcomes. The Healthy Communities Study (HCS) will address the need for a study of community programs and policies and their relationship with childhood obesity.

Research Design & Aims

Research design:

Over 130 communities and almost 5,000 children and their parents will be a part of the Healthy Community Study (HCS). A HCS community is defined as a high school catchment area. Elementary- and middle-school children and their parents will be asked to participate in the study. Data will be collected on up to 81 children within each community. The study examines quantitative and qualitative information obtained from community-based initiatives, community characteristics (e.g., school environment), and from child and parent assessments and measurements of children’s physical activity levels, dietary practices of children, and children’s and parent’s body mass index (BMI). This study is not designed to evaluate any one specific program, policy or community, but will instead systematically assess if components or characteristics of programs/policies in communities across the country are related to BMI, diet, and physical activity in children.

HCS employs a complex study design that includes a diverse sample of communities across the country and combines current/cross-sectional and retrospective data. Cross-sectional data will include in-person assessment of BMI, diet, and physical activity for all children. A subset of children will receive an enhanced protocol and will complete a 24-hour dietary recall and will wear an accelerometer for a week. The retrospective data will include the history of childhood obesity programs and policies and how they unfolded over the previous 10 years in each community, and the BMI trajectories over that same time period by combining BMI measured at baseline with BMI calculated from height and weight data abstracted from child participant medical records. Therefore, data analysis will reflect data collected of childhood experiences regarding physical activity, diet, and personal medical histories covering a 10-year period.

Program/policy and environmental data will be collected through interviews with community key informants, participant perceptions of the school and home environments, document review, GIS data, and direct observations of communities.

Sites/target populations:

Sites

  • Up to two elementary schools
  • Up to two middle schools

Target Populations

  • Up to 81 children and their parents
  • 10-14 key informants (i.e., key stakeholders such as school personnel, policymakers, etc…)
Aims:

HCS is an observational study of communities that aims to:

(1) Determine the associations between characteristics of community programs/policies and BMI, diet, and physical activity in children.

(2) Identify the community, family, and child factors that modify or mediate the associations between characteristics of community programs/policies and BMI, diet, and physical activity in children.

(3) Assess the associations between characteristics of program/policies and BMI, diet, and physical activity in children in communities that have a high proportion of African American, Latino, and/or low income residents.

Intervention description if applicable:

N/A

Logic Models

HCS Study

Data Collection Approach

Data collection:

In each community, retrospective and cross-sectional data will be collected. The retrospective data will include children’s height and weight extracted from medical charts and details of community programs/policies dating back 10 years. The cross-sectional data will include in-home assessment of children’s height and weight, diet, and physical activity. When available, the parent/caregiver’s height and weight will also be measured.

Data collection will consist of a two-staged sampling approach, with all study children receiving less detailed Standard Protocol measures (e.g., brief questionnaires). The Standard Protocol visit will take approximately 75 minutes to complete. A randomly selected subset of children (approximately 10 percent) will receive more detailed Enhanced Protocol measures (e.g., accelerometers, 24-hour dietary recalls). The Enhanced Protocol will take approximately 180 minutes in total to complete, and will include two home visits, and use of an accelerometer by the child for a one-week period. Statistical modeling techniques will be employed to adjust measures from the Standard Protocol for bias and error using measures from the Enhanced Protocol. This two-step statistical design will improve the study’s power without increasing burden for all participants.

Program/policy and environmental data will be collected through interviews with community key informants, participant perceptions of the school and home environments, interviews with school personnel, document review, GIS data, and direct observations of communities and schools, and other sources. Interviews with key informants will take 60 to 90 minutes to complete.

Resources

Questionnaires/surveys:

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/research/resources/hcs/index.shtml

Publication information:

N/A