Assessing the Feasibility of Partnering with a Home Visiting Program for Early Childhood Obesity Prevention

Purpose Little empirical data exists evaluating the feasibility of partnering with established home visiting programs to implement early childhood obesity prevention programs, despite the recommendation to do so. To inform this gap, we evaluated the feasibility of collecting anthropometric measurements of children by home visitors across multiple sites, and the alignment of these measurements with children in need, including with adverse family experiences (AFEs) given emerging evidence suggests an association with childhood obesity. Description Our proof-of-concept study included primary data collection of child anthropometric measurements through an established home visiting program in four states. This sample included 248 children ages 6 months to 5 years. Assessment In the sample, 37.1% of the children had overweight or obesity, 50% were female, 64.2% Hispanic/Latinx, 15.8% non-Hispanic Black, and 42.3% from rural/small towns. Households included substantial needs: 87.1% were low income, 73.8% low education, and 59.3% underemployment. Regarding AFEs, 38.3% of the children had at least one, with the most common being mothers who were treated violently. A multivariable model revealed community type, not AFEs, was significantly associated with overweight/obesity status, suggesting children in suburban and especially rural/small town residences (odds ratio 5.11; 95% CI [1.59, 16.39]) could be priority populations for childhood obesity prevention programs. Conclusion Findings of this multi-site study inform the feasibility of partnering with home visiting programs to reach and measure a diverse sample of children and families in need of childhood obesity prevention. Significance What is already known on this subject? Home visiting programs are a recommended gateway for early childhood obesity prevention efforts, but the feasibility of implementing this recommendation is understudied. What this study adds? This multi-site, multi-state study evaluated the feasibility of collecting anthropometric measurements through an established home visiting program, including the ability to reach children with overweight or obesity, from diverse backgrounds, and with adverse family experiences. This is an important step before implementing and scaling an early childhood obesity prevention program. Findings inform the development of childhood obesity prevention partnerships with home visiting programs.