The Colorado LEAP study: rationale and design of a study to assess the short term longitudinal effectiveness of a preschool nutrition and physical activity program.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The preschool years are a critical window for obesity prevention efforts; representing a time when children establish healthy eating habits and physical activity patterns. Understanding the context in which these behaviors develop is critical to formulating a model to address childhood obesity. The Colorado LEAP Study, an intervention study designed to prevent early childhood obesity, utilizes a social ecological approach to explore individual, family and environmental factors and their relationship to child weight status over a 3 year timeframe.

Methods

The study is located in 5 rural Colorado preschool centers and elementary schools (2 treatment and 3 control). Treatment sites receive The Food Friends nutrition (12 weeks) and physical activity (18 weeks) interve

SUBMITTER: Bellows LL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3867674 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature