Health in the Pacific

Rachel Novotny and co-authors have published the trial main effect paper on the effects of the Children’s Healthy Living (CHL) project. “Effect of the Children’s Healthy Living Program on Young Child Overweight, Obesity, and Acanthosis Nigricans in the US-Affiliated Pacific Region: A Randomized Clinical Trial,” which appeared in JAMA Open Network showed that a community-randomized clinical trial of CHL has been successful in its goal of sustainably preventing and decreasing the prevalence of overweight and obesity among young children and improving health in the U.S.-affiliated Pacific region. The rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes among adults in the Pacific are among the highest in the world, with 14 percent obesity in 2013. Prevention in childhood can keep obesity and diabetes from tracking into adulthood. CHL researchers aimed to change the context in which child overweight and obesity occurs by building strong partnerships for action within communities. Six behaviors and inputs (sleep time, screen time, physical activity, fruits and vegetables, water, and sugar-sweetened beverages were tracked along with physical indicators. Among 27 communities and 8,371 children in the community-randomized clinical trial, the CHL decreased overweight and obesity prevalence by 3.95 percent among children ages 2 to 8 years. See the UH News story for more detail.