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The increase in childhood obesity is a major public health concern due to its negative effect on children’s health outcomes. According to recent studies, childhood obesity is determined through the complex interactions among family, environment, and social behaviors. Therefore, multiple ecological approaches have been recommended to prevent and control childhood obesity. These have been shown to be efficacious in the literature.
The purpose of this study is to examine the contributing factors for early childhood obesity within a multi-level context, including child and family, childcare setting, and community.
Methods:
To guide this study, we will use the ecological systems theory (EST) developed by Bronfenbrenner (1979). The ecological systems theory provides a comprehensive framework for identifying the components of child and family, childcare setting, and community that are likely to directly or indirectly affect preschool children’s obesity at multiple levels.
For this study, the child and family unit consists of child’s characteristics, child’s routines, maternal factors, family background, and the family system (structure, functioning, and interactions affecting the child). Childcare setting includes types of childcare, nutrition and physical activity guidelines, child and teacher ratio, and childcare location. Community includes nutrition environment and physical activity environment.
A cross-sectional, quantitative research design will be used for this study. Convenience sampling method will be used to recruit the participants from several public and private preschools in the state of Florida. After obtaining approvals from all sites that will participate, institutional review board approval will be obtained before the research begins. Parents will complete self-administered survey questionnaires, and their children's weights and heights will be measured to calculate their BMI z-scores. Preschool directors will complete self-administered director survey questionnaires. Multilevel logistic regression will be used to explain the binary child weight status using three models. Model will include three levels: child and family as 1st level, childcare setting as 2nd level, and community as 3rd level.
Results: The results of this study will be analyzed after completing the data collection.
Conclusion:
The findings of this study will contribute to knowledge of factors related to childhood obesity in preschoolers in the state of Florida. The findings of this study will help to guide intervention programs to shape a healthy environment for preschool-aged children.