Feasibility of increasing childhood outdoor play and decreasing television viewing through a family-based intervention in WIC, New York State, 2007-2008.

Authors

Kirsten K Davison
Lynn S Edmunds
Brett A Wyker
Laurie M Young
Vanessa S Sarfoh
Jackson P Sekhobo

Publication/Presentation Date

5-1-2011

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Active Families is a program developed to increase outdoor play and decrease television viewing among preschool-aged children enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Our objective was to assess its feasibility and efficacy.

METHODS: We implemented Active Families in a large WIC clinic in New York State for 1 year. To this end, we incorporated into WIC nutrition counseling sessions a community resource guide with maps showing recreational venues. Outcome measures were children's television viewing and time playing outdoors and parents' behaviors (television viewing, physical activity), self-efficacy to influence children's behaviors, and parenting practices specific to television viewing. We used a nonpaired pretest and posttest design to evaluate the intervention, drawing on comparison data from 3 matched WIC agencies.

RESULTS: Compared with the children at baseline, the children at follow-up were more likely to watch television less than 2 hours per day and play outdoors for at least 60 minutes per day. Additionally, parents reported higher self-efficacy to limit children's television viewing and were more likely to meet physical activity recommendations and watch television less than 2 hours per day.

CONCLUSION: Results suggest that it is feasible to foster increased outdoor play and reduced television viewing among WIC-enrolled children by incorporating a community resource guide into WIC nutrition counseling sessions. Future research should test the intervention with a stronger evaluation design in multiple settings, with more diverse WIC populations, and by using more objective outcome measures of child behaviors.

Volume

8

Issue

3

First Page

54

Last Page

54

ISSN

1545-1151

Published In/Presented At

Davison, K. K., Edmunds, L. S., Wyker, B. A., Young, L. M., Sarfoh, V. S., & Sekhobo, J. P. (2011). Feasibility of increasing childhood outdoor play and decreasing television viewing through a family-based intervention in WIC, New York State, 2007-2008. Preventing chronic disease, 8(3), A54.

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

PubMedID

21477494

Department(s)

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Document Type

Article