Characteristics associated with the application of an ecological approach to preventing childhood obesity

• Published in: Public health nutrition Vol. 20; no. 1; pp. 174 - 182
• Main Authors: Stark, Christina M, Devine, Carol M, Dollahite, Jamie S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.01.2017
• Subjects: Adult; Agriculture; behavior change; Beverages; binomial distribution; CAI; Child; Childhood; childhood obesity; Children; Children & youth; Collaboration; Communities; Computer assisted instruction; dietitians; Distance learning; Ecological effects; Ecological monitoring; education programs; equations; Families & family life; Follow-Up Studies; Food stamps; Funding; Health Behavior; Health care; Health Education; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Internet; Intervention; linear models; Middle Aged; Networking; Nutrition; Nutrition education; Nutrition research; Obesity; Organizational aspects; Pediatric Obesity - prevention & control; Planning; Prevention; Professionals; Public health; Public Health - education; Research Papers; Skills; Studies; surveys; teachers; Teams; Training; United States; Workforce Development; youth development; United States > US; United States; Cooperative Extension; Childhood obesity; Online continuing education; Social ecological model
• ISSN: 1368-9800; 1475-2727; 1475-2727
• DOI: 10.1017/S1368980016001798

Applying an ecological approach to childhood obesity prevention requires a new way of thinking and working for many community-based practitioners who are used to focusing on individual behaviour change. The present study investigated individual and organizational characteristics associated with the application of an ecological approach by practitioners 6 months post-training. Individual and organizational characteristics and outcomes of a 6-week online training course were assessed at pre-course, post-course and 6-month follow-up. The application of an ecological approach was measured by three outcomes (application of course content, implementation of an action plan and trying a different approach) and analysed using a generalized estimating equation model with a binomial distribution and logit link and linear mixed models. An online course for participants in the USA and abroad. Public health nutrition and youth development educators and their community partners, and other community practitioners, who completed the course and all three surveys (n 240). One individual characteristic (networking utility) and three organizational characteristics (ecological approach within job scope, funding, course content applied to work) were positively and significantly associated with the application of an ecological approach (P<0·05). Individual characteristics that were negatively and significantly associated with the application of an ecological approach were being a registered dietitian and having ≥16 years of work experience (P<0·05). Training of community practitioners and the scope and funding of their positions should explicitly emphasize the usefulness or utility of networking and the use of an ecological approach for preventing childhood obesity.