Recorded presentation

Janice Sommers LeBeuf, MPH¹, Sara Benjamin, MPH², Alice Ammerman, DrPH, RD², Catherine Giles³, Janice Dodds, EdD, RD², and Dianne Ward, EdD². (1) NC Department of Health and Human Services, North Carolina Division of Public Health, 1928 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1927, 919-715-3292, janice.lebeuf@ncmail.net, (2) Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB 7461, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, (3) Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1700 Airport Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599

The Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAP-SACC), an intervention in child care centers aimed at improving nutrition and physical activity policies and practices through self-assessment and targeted technical assistance, was piloted May through December of 2003. Goals of the program were to improve nutritional quality of food served, amount and quality of physical activity, staff-child interactions, and center nutrition and physical activity policy. A convenience sample of child care centers were randomly allocated by county to the intervention (n=15) or control (n=4) group. Three intervention centers withdrew due to administrative issues. With the help of a Child Care Health Consultant (CCHC), centers completed a self-assessment instrument at pre and post-intervention periods to evaluate center nutrition and physical activity policies and practices in 15 areas. With assistance from the CCHC, intervention centers developed an action plan to improve at least three areas from the NAP-SACC instrument. Intervention center staff participated in continuing education workshops and CCHC provided targeted technical assistance to support policy and practice change. At baseline, there was no significant difference in NAP-SACC instrument score between intervention and control centers (intervention=105.3, control=105.7 out of 132 possible points). Both intervention and control centers improved on their NAP-SACC score at follow-up, however, greater change was observed in the intervention centers. Intervention centers increased an average of 13 points on the NAP-SACC instrument at follow-up. The NAP-SACC pilot intervention shows promise as an approach to improving nutrition and physical activity environments in child care centers. This project was funded by the NC Department of Health and Human Services, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to

• Describe a self-assessment approach to improving the nutrition and physical activity environments in child care
• Recognize the valuable and influential role that Child Care Health Consultants play in healthy child care.

Keywords: Environment, Child Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation