Childhood predictors of adult obesity in the Chicago Longitudinal Study

Despite obesity being a major concern for both children and adults in the United States today, there are few successful childhood interventions that curb obesity later in life. The objective of the current study is to identify childhood predictors of adult obesity at multiple levels in a large longitudinal sample of participants from an economically disadvantaged childhood cohort. 1065 participants (93% Black) from the Chicago Longitudinal Study were interviewed as part of a 30-year follow-up between 2012 and 2017. Parent involvement, school quality, neighborhood human capital, socioemotional learning skills, and achievement motivation assessed before age 12 years were examined as predictors of Body Mass Index (BMI) at age 35 years. Child neighborhood human capital and socioemotional learning skills predicted a lower BMI in adulthood and a decreased likelihood of being classified as obese; when separately analyzed by sex, both neighborhood human capital and higher socioemotional learning skills predicted a decreased likelihood of obesity for males and females. Being female and higher birthweight were associated with larger adult BMI. Socioemotional learning and neighborhood human capital in childhood consistently predict a decreased likelihood of being obese at age 35 in this predominately Black sample. Future obesity intervention/prevention programs should aim to bolster childhood socioemotional learning resources and neighborhood capital.

Practice Policy Statement: Integrating Effective Weight Management Into Practice

The American College of Preventive Medicine Prevention Practice Committee contributes to policy guidelines and recommendations on preventive health topics for clinicians and public health decision makers. As an update to a previously published statement on weight management counseling of overweight adults, the College is providing a consensus-based recommendation designed to more effectively integrate weight management strategies into clinical practice and to incorporate referrals to effective evidence-based community and commercial weight management programs. The goal is to empower providers to include lifestyle interventions as part of the foundation of clinical practice.

Influence of school community and fitness on prevalence of overweight in Australian school children

The study objectives were (1) to determine the variation in prevalence of overweight between school communities, (2) to evaluate the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and the probability of being overweight among different school communities, and (3) to test whether this relationship varies between school communities. Using a repeated cross-sectional design, data from 31,424 (15,298 girls, 16,126 boys) Australian school children who had objective assessments of body composition and physical performance were used. Ninety-one schools located across 5 states and territories were included. Independent samples were taken across 12 school years (2000-2011). Analysis used generalised linear mixed models in R with a two-level hierarchical structure-children, nested within school communities. Predictor variables considered were: level 1-gender, age, cardiorespiratory fitness and year of measurement; level 2-school community. A total of 24.6% of the children were overweight and 69% were of low fitness. Variation in the prevalence of overweight between school communities was significant, ranging from 19% to 34%. The probability of being overweight was negatively associated with increasing cardiorespiratory fitness. The relationship was steepest at low fitness and varied markedly between school communities. Children of low fitness had probabilities of being overweight ranging between 26% and 75% depending on school community, whereas those of high fitness had probabilities of <2%. Our findings suggest that most might be gained from a public health perspective by focusing intervention on the least fit children in the worst-performing communities.

School-based physical activity promotion: a conceptual framework for research and practice

Despite public health concerns and the many recognized benefits of physical activity (PA), levels of participation among youth remain below national recommendations. To this end, a variety of strategies for promoting physical activity for youth have been advocated, including multi-faceted, school-based approaches. One that continues to be identified as having great potential is a comprehensive school physical activity program (CSPAP). The aim of this article is to introduce a conceptual framework for school-based PA promotion that serves to stimulate, guide, and organize related research and practice. The CSPAP conceptual framework is a proposed framework, informed by existing science, recommendations, and a social ecological perspective with individual PA behavior as the epicenter. Discussed in turn are the four proposed interactive levels of influence (i.e., components, facilitators, leaders, and culture) and several integral elements proposed to operate at each level. The article concludes with a presentation of the utility of the framework for research and practice.