A client-centered approach for emergency food provision: An Evaluation of the Food Bank of Central New York's No Soda and No Candy Policy and Emergency Food Recipient Food Preferences
Project dates: 11/08-7/09
Funded by: The Food Bank of Central New York
CWH will evaluate the impact of the Food Bank of Central New York’s “No Soda and No Candy” policy on the donated product mix available through its warehouse inventory; determine the food preferences of food pantry recipients; and identify factors that influence EFP decision-making about foods and beverages to stock and distribute, including perceptions of clients’ food preferences. Information will be provided to food banks and emergency food programs (EFP) of New York and other states on ways to improve food and nutrition policies and services to be more consistent with recommendations for health and recipient preferences.
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California Childcare Food Assessment
Project dates: 1/07-2/09
Funded by: California Food Policy Advocates
The Center will assist with a study to inform the public health, policy and summer lunch and after school communities about the foods and beverages served to children in California, to assess how well they meet the standards contained in the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and to develop policy recommendations based upon the research results.
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Capturing the impact of new food and beverage standards in California high schools
Project dates: 7/06 - 6/09
Funded by: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Beginning in 2007, new California laws regulating the amount of fat, sugar and calories contained in foods available at schools, and the phasing out of soda and some sweetened beverage sales will took effect. The rest of the nation is looking to California of see if schools can adhere to these strict standards, what the fiscal impact will be, and what student and stakeholder responses to the these changes will be. The Center will asses the impact of this legislation in 50 randomly selected public high schools. Data will be collected on the effect of these changes on: the food environment and on students' participation in school meal programs, the financial operations of the food service departments, other school entities that sell food and beverages on campus, and students' intake of soda, chips, french fries, and foods that are more nutrient dense such as fruit, vegetables, milk and yogurt.
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Center for Weight and Health School Lunch Initiative Evaluation Project
Project dates: 7/06 - 3/10
Funded by: The Chez Panisse Foundation
The Center for Weight and Health will conduct an evaluation study of the Berkeley Unified School District's School Lunch Initiative, looking at the impact on student behavior and health. The School Lunch Initiative was created in partnership with the Chez Panisse Foundation, Center for Ecoliteracy and the Berkeley Unified School District. The project will collect student and school level data for and correlate it with student exposure to the documented School Lunch Initiative components over three years, accounting for demographic, family and neighborhood environmental factors.
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Children and Weight:
What Communities Can Do About It
Project dates: 10/99-9/02, extended
Funded by: The California Nutrition Network and the Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program
The goal of this project is to provide low-income schools and communities with the resources they need to create an environment that fosters healthy growth and development, positive body image and high self-esteem among all children. A resource kit was developed to help empower and support schools and communities as they assess the current environment, identify strengths and weaknesses, establish priorities, develop and implement an action plan.
For more information, contact Joanne Ikeda at jikeda@berkeley.edu
Visit our Children and Weight: What Communities Can Do About It page for Community Coalition Updates.
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Collaboration with African American 5-A-Day Campaign
Project dates: 1/04-12/04, ongoing
The Center collaborates with the California Nutrition Network and the Center for Nutrition and Activity Research among African Americans at Drew University to support the development of nutrition and physical activity programs for the African American community in Northern California. For more information regarding materials, training opportunities and other resources, visit African American 5-A-Day .
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Communities Make a Difference
Project dates:10/03-9/04, ongoing
Funded by: USDA/FSNEP
Improving and coordinating the delivery of nutrition and physical activity related services and education to food stamp families in counties throughout California, and encouraging families to take advantage of community and environmental resources that support healthy lifestyles
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Evaluation of the Healthy School Partnership Program
Project dates:2/08-2/09
Funded by: American Dietetic Association
CWH will evaluate the impact of the Healthy School Partnership Program. This evaluation will focus on behavioral outcome data with the addition of intermediate outcome and qualitative data to inform the process and compare the effectiveness of the various approaches. Knowledge and attitudes regarding food and nutrition will be assessed for students, selected staff and parents to examine the reach of the intervention and the likelihood of some level of program sustainability.
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Healthy Eating, Active Communities
Project dates: 3/05 – 2/09
Funded by: The California Endowment
The Center for Weight and Health is leading the quantitative evaluation component of Healthy Eating, Active Communities, which assesses the impact of the initiative on health, behaviors, attitudes and knowledge. This four-year California Endowment initiative includes increasing opportunities for physical activity and healthy eating for children and families, particularly in low-income and rural communities, and developing state policy changes that will reduce the risk factors for diabetes and obesity. Six community collaboratives in Chula Vista, Santa Ana, Baldwin Park, South Central Los Angeles, Oakland, and South Shasta County were chosen to implement this initiative.
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Healthy Eating and Active Communities Quantitative Evaluation
Project dates: 7/06 - 2/09
Funded by: Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente funding supplements the Center’s California Endowment Healthy Eating and Active Communities project. See project description above.
Download the Healthy Eating, Active Communities Student Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey
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Healthy Eating, Active Living Community Health Initiative: Evaluation Proposal, Student Survey Component
Project dates: 1/06 - 2/11
Funded by: Kaiser Permanente
A student survey and fitness testing is being administered to determine the impact of the HEAL initiative on student attitudes, behaviors, and fitness; and assess students’ awareness of, and exposure to, changes made in the various sectors as a result of the HEAL initiative.
Download Healthy Eating Active Living Youth Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey
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Healthy Eating, Active Living Community Initiative
Project dates: 7/06 - 3/11
Funded by: Group Health Cooperative/Kaiser Permanente
The Center is assisting Community Health Initiative (CHI) communities measure the impact of nutrition and physical activity interventions on youth; and providing training and technical assistance during survey administration, data translation and follow-up. CWH is also developing a Library of Indicators (a compilation of nutrition and physical activity assessment tools) which will be available for HEAL grantees and community partners.
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Identify Needs & Interests of Non-English Speaking Parents Regarding Pediatric Overweight
Project dates: 8/04-12/04 (ongoing)
Funded by: Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program
A student will conduct focus groups among Asians in Oakland to determine their needs and concerns regarding pediatric overweight. This information will be used to design culturally appropriate educational materials.
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Life in Action Youth Nutrition Education
Project dates: 9/07-8/09
Funded by: Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Foundation
The Life In Action program has been successfully implemented primarily in Canada. The Center is working with Life In Action, Canada, to adapt the program to the needs of California schools and to conduct a rigorous formative and process evaluation of the program. The evaluation results will then be used to plan for future expansion of the Life In Action program in California. Through the unique attributes of the program, most notably the engagement of children helping children, this project has the potential to have a great impact on children and families in California.
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Literature Review for the Obesity Prevention Funding Project
Project dates: 2/08-6/09
Funded by: California Center for Public Health Advocacy
CWH will collect information to assess the success of the Northern California partnerships in meeting their Community Health Initiative goals and objectives; represent the Cross-Site Evaluation team in work with the community partnerships and KP NCAL Community Benefit staff; conduct analysis and interpret findings in collaboration with the Cross-Site Evaluation team members; write case studies and narratives on key partnership activities; contribute to the dissemination of research findings through collaboration on papers and presentations; prepare IRB applications as needed and ensure compliance with IRB guidelines, and actively collaborate with Investigator and Cross-Site Evaluation team members to write study progress reports.
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Northern California HEAL Technical Assistance
Project dates: 9/07-1/10
Funded by: Kaiser Foundation Hospitals/Kaiser Permanente Med Centers
To increase healthy eating and physical activity through policy and environmental changes, CWH continues to provide technical assistance to enhance program implementation efforts, promote adherence to program objectives, and facilitate communication among and between community grantees in 3 Northern California HEAL CHI community collaboratives in Richmond, Modesto, and Santa Rosa. The Center will also supports the varied environmental and organizational health promotion efforts in 13 Northern California communities receiving HEAL Local Partnership Grants.
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Pilot study of the role of stress in obesity in the NGHS cohort
Project dates: 10/08-12/08(extended)
Funded by: UCSF
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Pilot to Assess the Distribution of Information on Nutrient Content of Foods in KP Cafeterias
Project dates: 4/08-3/09
Funded by: Kaiser Foundation Hospitals/Kaiser Permanente Med Centers
Kaiser Permanente has instituted the Healthy Picks program to improve the availability of healthier food items in vending machines and cafeterias utilized by employees, health plan members, and visitors. In KP cafeterias, a HP logo is placed next to qualifying items on the cafeteria menu boards. KP now seeks to institute a second initiative, the provision of point-of-decision calorie information for all cafeteria menu items. The Center is evaluating this initiative on menu item selection and patron satisfaction, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, as well as on the institutional challenges and benefits resulting from implementation of the initiative. Findings from the project will help to inform the possible implementation of calorie labeling of menu items in all KP cafeterias.
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Providing Nutrition Resources to Underserved Families, Schools and Communities
Project dates: 9/08-8/09
Funded by: Bechtel
CWH will significantly increase its visibility and reach to our target population of children at their schools, in their homes and in their community environments by providing improved and updated nutrition resources to underserved families, schools and communities in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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Randomized, Controlled Community Intervention to Reduce the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Overweight African American Children
The prevalence of pediatric type 2 diabetes has risen at an unprecedented rate. Urgently needed to address this public health crisis are prevention strategies that target high risk children, can be easily replicated, are sustainable, and can be used to inform food aid programs, and community and school organizations traditionally involved in the health and welfare of children. The goal of this project is to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in overweight 9- to 10-year-old African American children through a community-based program that includes research, extension and education components.
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Reversing Childhood Obesity Trends: Helping Children Achieve Healthy Weights
Project dates: initiated in 2001 - ongoing
Funded by: USDA
To reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity across the nation through the integration of research, education, and innovative approaches to help children achieve healthy weights.
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Sports4Kids Evaluation
Project dates: 10/07- 9/09
Funded by: Sports4Kids
CWH is evaluating the impact of the Sports4Kids program on the health of the children who are at greatest risk of developing obesity in 35 Bay Area schools’ kindergarten through 5th grade classes. This evaluation includes objective measures of health indices as well as self-report data related to student attitudes, behaviors and perceptions. We will assess changes in BMI for all participants, as well as changes in body composition, fitness and self-reported attitudes and behaviors for all 5th grade participants.
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Team Nutrition Local Wellness Demo Project Evaluation
Project dates: 8/07-12/09
Funded by: California Department of Education Nutrition Services Division
The Center is utilizing a case study approach in California designed to provide information regarding the processes, barriers, needs and effectiveness of the wellness policies required by the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. This information will be used to assist USDA and The Nutrition Services Division of the California Department of Education in providing appropriate training, technical assistance, guidance and support to schools across the country.
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Timing of Eating in Relation to Obesity Development in Black and White Girls Through Adolescence
Project dates: 1/06 - 12/09
Funded by: USDA/CSREES
Evidence suggests that eating less food early in the day and more food later in the day may be related to increased total energy consumption. However, the relationship between timing of food intake and obesity in youth has not been prospectively evaluated. This study seeks to prospectively evaluate the relation of timing of food intake to weight status in girls in the NHLBI Growth and Health study followed through adolescence.
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| Recently Completed Projects |
African American Center for Healthy Activity that Nurtures Growth & Endurance (CHANGE)
Project dates: 1/03-12/03
Funded by: California Nutrition Network
A resource and technical assistance center promoting and supporting the development of nutrition and physical activity programs for the African American community in Northern California. CHANGE is funded by the California Nutrition Network as part of the African American 5-A-Day campaign and is a sister Center of the Center for Nutrition and Activity Research among African Americans at Drew University.
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Agricultural Experiment Station Faculty Involvement
Project dates: 2//01-9/02
Funded by: Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR)
The Center explored potential areas and mechanisms for collaboration between AES faculty and Cooperative Extension in general and with the DANR workgroups in particular, developed proposal ideas, explored funding options and submitted at least one collaborative proposal for funding.
For more information, contact Gail Woodward-Lopez at gwlopez@nature.berkeley.edu
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Assembly, Delivery and Evaluation of Nutrition Education Programs to Reduce the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Overweight Low-Income African American Children
Project dates: 10/05 - 9/06
Funded by: USDA/FSNEP
This project augmented funds provided by USDA to reduce risk of type 2 diabetes in overweight 9- to 10-year old African American children from low-income families through a community-based program that includes research, extension and education components. The FSNEP funds were used to revise, up-date and translate existing nutrition education curriculum materials so that they were appropriate for the overall communities as sampled by the 140 children and families who participated.
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Assessing the association among food insecurity, child feeding practices and obesity
Project dates: 7/1/04 - 12/1/05
Funded by: USDA/IRP
The overall goal of this project was to assess the impact of maternal food insecurity (past and/or current) on child feeding practices that may be related to overweight and obesity among low income families enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).
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Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) Lunch Initiative
Project dates: 1/06 - 5/06
Funded by: Chez Panisse Foundation (CPF)
The Center was an academic partner in the team of experts assembled by the Chez Panisse Foundation to identify quantitative and qualitative data sources and develop a 3 year evaluation plan for the BUSD School Lunch Initiative; identify sources and results of previous school lunch initiative related research conducted on behalf of BUSD, CPF or its partners; and collect information and conduct interviews on current kitchen/garden projects or related curriculum implementation planned in the BUSD.
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California Bone Health Campaign
Project dates: 1/00-9/02
Funded by: California Department of Health Services
The Center developed the evaluation component of a campaign to promote increased intake of 1% milk among Latina mothers and their families in two California communities.
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California Fresh Start Evaluation
Project dates: 7/06 - 9/07
Funded by: CA Healthy Kids Resources Ct/CDE
California Fresh Start is a pilot program established by Senate Bill 281 which provided a 10-cent per meal reimbursement to school districts to promote and serve an additional serving of fruits or vegetables at breakfast. The Center evaluated how well the program was working and identified successful implementation strategies and improvements or additional support needed to ensure successful implementation. The evaluation determined the extent to which fruit and vegetable servings were increased, types of fruits and vegetables served, how the additional reimbursement was spent, whether the funding was adequate to cover costs, the impact of the program on School Breakfast participation rates and food service operations, and student perceptions of the program.
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California Hub: Linking Resources for Obesity Prevention
Project dates: 10/00-9/03
Funded by: Centers for Disease Control
This project developed a working group (hub) that participated in a network of Prevention Research Centers to explore novel approaches to obesity and chronic disease prevention. Center activities included website and list serve development, statewide meetings, synthesis of findings on interventions, sharing of expertise and development of fact sheets and policy recommendations. As a part of this project, the Center is also co-chairing a workgroup to conduct a literature review on the determinants of energy imbalance and to develop recommendations for future research and promising interventions. Other hubs sites included: Harvard, St Louis University, University of North Carolina, University of Oklahoma, University of Washington and University of New Mexico.
For more information, contact Gail Woodward-Lopez at gwlopez@nature.berkeley.edu
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California Plate & Childhood Obesity Prevention
Project dates: 7/06 - 9/07
Funded by: ANR
Although current teaching methods are nutritionally sound, nutrition advisors and their staffs have found that current education based on the Food Guide Pyramid is too abstract for many clients. This project adapted, tested and evaluated a new nutrition education method, the California Plate Method, designed to produce dietary changes known to reduce the likelihood of pediatric obesity. Evaluation in 11 demographically varied California counties, using a randomized research design, provided evidence needed for modification of current EFNEP and FSNEP nutrition education methods. The Plate Method aims to be more concrete, and focus on dietary factors known to prevent pediatric obesity.
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California Obesity Prevention Initiative (COPI)
Project dates: 1/00-9/04
Funded by: California Department of Health Services
The Center collaborated with the California Department of Health Services to design the intervention and lead the evaluation of a CDC initiative to prevent obesity among children in California, and pilot tested an innovative strategy to reduce TV viewing among children in select communities that could subsequently be implemented on a larger scale. For more information, contact Gail Woodward-Lopez at gwlopez@nature.berkeley.edu.
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California WIC Childhood Obesity Prevention Project (FitWIC)
Project dates: 10/99-9/03
Funded by: Food and Nutrition Section of USDA
The focus of this project was to determine the changes that state WIC agencies and local WIC sites needed to make to be more responsive to the problem of childhood obesity. California was the lead state for this USDA five-state WIC Special Projects Grant being carried out in Vermont, Virginia, the Intertribal Council of Arizona, and Kentucky. The California project focused on the promotion of physical activity as well as working with communities and establishing local task forces, to develop long term, appropriate solutions to the rising problem of childhood obesity among the Latino population in 4 counties.
For more information, contact Wendy Gosliner at wgosline@uclink.berkeley.edu
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Childhood Overweight Prevention among Asian Immigrants
Project dates: 10/06 - 9/07
Funded by: USDA/FSNEP
Food habits are considered to be behavior that does not change quickly as immigrants acculturate. The food environment in the U.S. can be quite different from that in the homeland of many Asian immigrants, who may be unable to retain their traditional food patterns due to cost and/or availability, and who may not have been previously exposed to aggressive food marketing. CWH adapted currently available educational pamphlets in Chinese, Hmong, Korean, and Vietnamese, for use with Cambodians and Laotians, and developed a short 8-12 minute video with potential for voice over in various Asian languages.
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Children and Parents Improving Health Together
Project dates:10/03-9/04
Funded by: USDA/FSNEP
The Children and Parents Improving Health Together project was a nutrition and physical activity educational program aimed at improving the health practices of low-income, food stamp eligible children ages birth to eight and their parents or caregivers. The goal of this program was to promote healthy nutritional and physical activity choices among Food Stamp eligible Latino families with young children, through positive changes in children and parents' knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding nutrition and physical activity practices, increasing children and parents' consumption of fruits, vegetables, and healthy snacks, and increasing physical activity.
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Coast-to-Coast Initiative to Control and Prevent Childhood Obesity: bridge funding
Project dates: 1/07 - current
Funded by: Harvard School of Public Health/ Iacocca Fnd
The Center, with the Harvard School of Public Health, developed The Coast-to-Coast Initiative to Control and Prevent Childhood Obesity (C2C), a multi-year plan to prevent obesity in multiple states in school, after school, health care, and community health settings.
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Determinants of Energy Imbalance: A Review of Existing Knowledge and Recommendations for Future Research and intervention
Project dates: 10/01-9/03
Funded by: Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
The purpose of this project was to summarize the current knowledge pertaining to the determinants of overweight and the effectiveness of interventions designed to reduce overweight in order to: identify gaps in knowledge, suggest research to increase the understanding of these determinants, and identify promising target behaviors for the prevention of overweight.
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Dietary Patterning Through Adolescence
Project dates: 10/01-9/03
Funded by: USDA
This study analyzed dietary intake (based on whole foods) of adolescents who participated in the NHLBI Growth and Health Study (NGHS) to determine the relationship between overweight and dietary patterns.
For more information, contact Lorrene Ritchie at lorrene_ritchie@sbcglobal.net
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Development of Eating Patterns and Obesity in African American Girls
Project dates: 12/02-11/05Funded by: USDA-ERS
CWH tracked eating patterns and their relation to obesity of a large cohort of African American girls from ages 9 to19 in three cities (Cincinnati, Ohio, Washington, DC and Richmond,CA).
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Documentation of Accomplishments and Identification of Strengths and Weaknesses of Community Coalitions Attempting to Impact Pediatric Overweight
Project dates: 10/04-9/05
Funded by: USDA/FSNEP
This proposal maintained communication with county coalitions that have been supported by past FSNEP grants and establish communication with other state and local coalitions posted on the Center for Weight and Health web site. It documented the accomplishments, and evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of the coalitions. Information from two survey instruments provided feedback to coalition leaders, and was available for use to make changes to improve the effectiveness of the coalitions and to continue on-going success.
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Eat Smart, Play Hard
Project dates: 7/05-6/06
Funded by: UC/DANR
The Center provided technical assistance for the Eat Smart. Play Hard. ™ California ! program, which tackled the problem of childhood obesity by providing a supportive, educational environment for a child and an adult pair to learn about nutrition and fitness while having fun together. Designed to help 6-8 year olds maintain healthy body weights, the hands-on English/Spanish program featured nutrition knowledge centers, making delicious fruits and vegetable snacks, and engaging in physical activities with inexpensive sports items like bean bags and balloons. Pairs worked together to set nutritional and fitness goals and made a commitment to help each other reach their goals. The program was established and evaluated in three California counties utilizing a train-the-trainer strategy.
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Effects of Pregnancy on Adolescent Growth and Health
Project dates: 5/02-4/07
Funded by: US Department of Health and Human Services
This study examined the effect of pregnancy on changes in stature, body size, adiposity and blood lipid profiles among adolescent black and white girls. The findings were examined specifically in relation to gestational gain and to provide a scientific basis for pregnancy weight gain recommendations for adolescents.
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Enhancing Nutrition Education
Project dates: 10/04-9/05
Funded by: FSNEP/FDA
The Enhancing Nutrition Education project provided evidence-based information about the effectiveness of working with childcare providers to improve the nutrition and physical activity opportunities and practices of food stamp eligible parents and children.
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Evaluating a YMCA-Based Community Intervention to Reduce Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Overweight African American Children
Project dates: 2/05-1/09
Funded by: USDA/CSREES
The goal of the project was to develop a means by which the risk of type 2 diabetes can be reduced in overweight 9 and 10 year old African American children. The intervention was designed to develop healthy eating behaviors, increase physical activity, and promote self-esteem and self-efficacy with respect to making healthy food choices and being physically active. One group received the two year intervention program; the other group attended a camp and occasional celebratory activities that made no distinct effort to influence behavior. Effectiveness of the program was assessed by measuring in the blood of the children specific compounds that indicate risk of type 2 diabetes. In addition to the children’s body height, weight and fatness, food selections and degree of physical activity and psychosocial characteristics of the children and their families, and self-esteem and the abilities of the families to make healthy lifestyle changes were measured.
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Evaluation of California Department of Education (CDE) Nutrition and Physical Activity projects
Project dates: 6/03-5/04
Funded by: California Department of Education
The Center lead the evaluation of CDE's Team Nutrition programs and the SB 19 pilot programs all of which were striving to improve the nutrition and physical activity of students in California's schools.
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Evaluation of school-based nutrition education in Oakland schools
Project dates: 6/08-10/08
Funded by: Alameda County Public Health Department
CWH collaborated with the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) to assist with the evaluation of nutrition education programs supported by the California Nutrition Network for Healthy, Active Families (Network), in Oakland elementary schools. The Center analyzed data collected by the ACPHD and validated the existing student questionnaire.
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Evaluation of the Period of Adiposity Rebound for the Prevention of Obesity
Project dates: 9/05-9/07
Funded by: University of California Office of the President/Mexus program
CWH conducted a pilot study to assess the relationship of dietary intake, caregiver feeding practices, and physical activity to the timing of adiposity rebound, which has been shown to be related to risk for subsequent obesity, among Mexican preschool children.
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Evaluation of SB 19 Pupil Nutrition Act
Project dates: 1/03-12/05
Funded by: NIH/subcontract with WestEd
CWH partnered with WestEd to conduct a randomized, controlled trial to evaluate the impact of the SB 19 on BMI, fitness, physical activity and dietary intake in 4 middle schools and 10 elementary schools in N. California.
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Fit Families
Project dates: 10/01-9/02, extended to 9/30/03
Funded by: USDA Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program
The Fit Families Project supported the activities of three task force groups in California working to promote nutrition and physical activity among low-income families with young children in their communities. The project also developed materials for families and healthcare providers to promote healthful eating and physical activity among low-income families.
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Food Insecurity Resources Development and Distribution
Project dates: 10/01-9/02
Funded by: USDA's Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program (FSNEP)
The Center for Weight and Health conducted an extensive review of the literature and other resources in order to answer the following questions: What is food insecurity? How can it be measured? What are the most effective ways to measure prevalence? What types of interventions show the most promise? How do we measure success? The information and resources gathered were made available to nutrition education and related providers in the following form: position papers, fact sheets and policy recommendations; examples of model programs; networking tools that allowed providers to access experts and other providers working on these issues; and educational materials and other program implementation tools and resources.
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Gender, Obesity, Reactive Protein and Oxidative Stress
Project dates: 12/03-11/07
Funded by: NIDDK
The long-term objective of this project was to identify nutritional factors that can lower C-reactive protein and lipid peroxidation. C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, has been shown to be "remarkably consistent" in its association with cardiovascular disease, as well as with diabetes and other conditions. Oxidative damage biomarkers have been associated with the etiology of numerous disease conditions, including atherosclerosis, diabetes, COPD and others. Both CRP and lipid oxidation have been shown to have a direct (not correlational) effect on vascular and other tissues, including effects on smooth muscle contractility, induction of intercellular and vascular cell adhesion molecules, enhancement of complement activation, and other mechanisms. We hypothesized that some of the harmful effects of obesity, and of post-menopausal status, are attributable to fat-induced CRP and lipid oxidation. We proposed to test whether antioxidant supplements can lower CRP and lipid oxidation.
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Governor Schwarzenegger's Summit on the Prevention of Obesity
Project dates: 9/04-4/06
Funded by: CDHS
The Center assisted the ad-hoc planning committee with; the design of the Summit process/agenda; identifying potential topics and presenters; identifying potential participants in the Advisory committee, Summit event and Summit Follow -up Team; and the creation and review of materials. The Center also provided advice and consultation to the conference PR firm; served as scientific expert to answer technical questions that arose during the conference; and assisted with all aspects of post-conference review, analysis and evaluation.
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HEAL-Northern California Santa Rosa Youth Evaluation
Project dates: 4/08-12/08
Funded by: Kaiser Foundation Hospitals/Kaiser Permanente Med Centers
Funding to expand the Center’s efforts in northern California to include two additional schools in Santa Rosa as part of the Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) youth evaluation funded by Kaiser Permanente. These schools are the two major secondary schools in Santa Rosa and represent an important part of the youth population in the areas where the changes are being made.
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Healthy Eating and Activity for Children
Project dates: 10/06 - 9/07
Funded by: USDA/FSNEP
The Family Fitness: Child Care Healthy Eating and Activity project promoted the balancing of healthy eating and physical activity among food stamp eligible parents and children. The project engaged families in child care sites in Contra Costa, Shasta and LA Counties. Project objectives were to increase the consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and to increase regular physical activity through coordinated activities, messages, and modeling from child care providers experienced in using these foods and participating in regular physical activity.
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Healthy Eating and Childhood Overweight Prevention Grants
Project dates: 8/02-9/03
Funded by: Calif. WIC
The Center provided technical assistance to 8 collaborative community nutrition projects across the state of California to improve the food and physical activity environment for low-income families.
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Helping School Foodservice Deliver Nutrition Education
Project dates: 10/05 - 9/06
Funded by: USDA/FSNEP
The School Foodservice Nutrition Education project provided information about healthy eating to low-income children and their families by empowering foodservice employees in schools serving food stamp eligible children to provide nutrition education to students and their parents and to advocate for improving the nutritional value of school meals.
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Implementing and Evaluating a Comprehensive Learner Centered Education Program to Promote Fruit and Vegetable intake among WIC children and their families
Project dates:10/04-9/07
Funded by: USDA/subcontract with California Dept. of Health Services
A rigorous controlled study evaluated whether a new and creative approach of using Learner Centered Education (LCE) to promote fruit and vegetable intake among preschool children and their families was more effective than traditional education. Data was provided to other WIC programs, agencies serving similar populations, academia, and other stakeholders such that they could apply the findings to their target audiences.
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Implementation and evaluation of a bone health curriculum among adult FSNEP client
Project dates: 10/05 - 9/06
Funded by: USDA/FSNEP
The goal of this project was to reduce osteoporosis risk in low-income women and their families, specifically to: implement the use of a bone health curriculum; evaluate its use by FSNEP advisors; and evaluate its effectiveness in changing knowledge, attitudes and behavior among adult FSNEP participants.
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Improving Nutrition in Low-income Vietnamese Families
Project dates:10/07-9/08
Funded by: USDA/FSNEP
With a focus on preventing child overweight, improving pediatric bone health and increasing the effectiveness of existing FSNEP educational pamphlets for Vietnamese families, CWH put together nutrition education lesson plans, with culturally appropriate learning activities, to be used by Nutrition Education Assistants working with low-income FSNEP eligible Vietnamese Americans.
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Improving Self-Efficacy of Nutrition Educators
Project dates: 10/03-9/04
Funded by: USDA/FSNEP
This project implemented and evaluated the effectiveness of enhancing client education through a staff health promotion model. It was adapted from a recently conducted California Fit WIC staff wellness program that demonstrated a significant positive impact on self-efficacy in educating WIC clients to improve their nutrition and physical activity.
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Latino Children and Parents Improving Health Together
Project dates: 10/03-9/04
Funded by: USDA/FSNEP
This project promoted healthy nutritional and physical activity choices among Food Stamp eligible Latino families with young children, through positive changes in children's and parents' knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding nutrition and physical activity practices, increasing children’s and parents' consumption of fruits, vegetables, and healthy snacks, and increasing physical activity.
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Learner Centered Education
Project dates: 1/04-9/04
Funded by: DHS
The Center conducted a literature review and needs assessment and developed an evaluation methodology for the State WIC program "Finding the Teacher Within", a new and innovative learner centered educational method.
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Lessons Learned From School Based Programs to Improve Physical Activity and Nutrition
Project dates: 10/03-9/04
Funded by: The California Endowment
The Center conducted stakeholder interviews, environmental assessments, and policy and fiscal analyses to determine what schools were doing to improve physical activity and nutrition, what challenges they encountered, and what the keys to success in their efforts to improve the health of California's children were.
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Linking Education, Activity and Food
Project dates: 1/04-8/05
Funded by: CDE/Nutrition Services Division
The Center directed the evaluation of 15 pilot middle and high schools in 9 California School Districts that were implementing the “Linking Education, Activity and Food” (LEAF) grants. These school districts were funded for a twenty-one month period by the California Department of Education through an interagency agreement with The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). The goal of these grants was to pilot the development and implementation of nutrition and physical activity policies as outlined in Senate Bills 19 and 56 entitled the Pupil Nutrition, Health and Achievement Act of 2001. SB 19 required that an evaluation be conducted and that two reports be submitted to the legislature, the first in June, 2004, and the second in January, 2005.
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Literature Review, Issue Scan, Intervention Evidence, CA WIC Profiles, Tapping Non-WIC Data
Project dates: 608-12/08
Funded by: California WIC Association
In collaboration the California WIC Division and local agency communities, CWH conducted and published a brief literature review of the current published and unpublished research and datasets that evaluate WIC program interventions in the past decade. The Center convened a one-day retreat and published insights and recommendations of research experts and California WIC with the objective of understanding and clarifying the steps California WIC needs to take to “Get to Getting Results.” The Center also reviewed current evidence on nutrition research and best practice interventions on each of the five broad strategies that WIC will follow, published brief monographs that catalogue the findings for lay readers, and created easy-to-understand analyses of California ISIS data ranking and mapping key indicators by county and/or local agency. These profiles will be shared with local WIC agencies to encourage discussion and debate about underlying reasons for inter-agency differences. CWH explored data availability and cost of using non-WIC data to track food package dynamics and published a guide to using non-WIC data to answer food package questions.
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Network for a Healthy California Berkeley Impact Evaluation 2007-2008
Project dates: 10/07-9/08
Funded by: Berkeley Unified School District
The Center conducted an impact evaluation of fruit and vegetable consumption during school lunch service. The focus on students’ fruit and vegetable consumption was the result of observations of school lunch and food service made for the SLI Evaluation Project during the 2006-2007 school year in all Berkeley elementary schools. Anecdotally, children’s use and selection of a variety of fresh produce from the salad bar at schools with Network cooking and garden classes appeared to be higher compared to that at schools without Network sponsored cooking and gardening classes. This impact evaluation provided a systematic evaluation of this observation..
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Nutrition Education for Bay Area African Americans
Project dates: 10/07-9/08
Funded by: USDA/FSNEP
Nutrition education was delivered at three YMCA Urban Services sites in Oakland and at the San Francisco Treasure Island Boys and Girls Club to FSNEP eligible children and families residing in low-income communities in Oakland and San Francisco California. The goals of this FSNEP project were to increase intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals and low-fat dairy foods, and reduce intake of sweetened beverages, and to increase knowledge regarding the following: the importance of consuming a healthy diet, the importance of daily physical exercise, and strategies for altering daily patterns of physical activity, food selection and food consumption to achieve optimal exercise and nutrient intakes.
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Obesity, Hyperinsulinemia and Colon Cancer
Project dates: 9/02-8/04
Funded by: NIH/NCI
Based on evidence that insulin and related growth factors affect biological processes associated with increased risk of cancer, we hypothesized that it is the hyperinsulinemia and not body fatness per se that is responsible for increased susceptibility of the overweight and obese to colonic cancer. Instead, fatty tissue and high insulin levels only increased colon cancer risk if the molecule, leptin, was also present. Animals deplete of leptin did not have increased risk of colon cancer even if they were obese and insulin resistant.
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Ovarian Cancer in Large Women: Reducing Barriers to Care
Project dates: 1/99 - 12/01
Funded by: Cancer Research Program, Ca Dept of Health Services
The goal of this project was to improve access to gynecological cancer screening and care for large women and thereby contribute to the improved health and well-being of all women affected by weight-related stigma. Qualitative and quantitative data were being gathered from consumers and providers to determine the extent of, and reasons why, large women avoid or delay gynecological care. Attitudes and concerns of the consumers as well as attitudes, practices and policies of the providers were identified, as well as effective strategies for overcoming barriers. For more information, contact Nancy Amy at nkamy@nature.berkeley.edu
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The Paradoxical Relationship between Food Insecurity and Child Obesity
Project dates: Summer 2000 - June 2002 (extended)
Funded by: Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR)
The purpose of this project was to examine the relationship between food security and childhood obesity. A cross sectional survey of women and children from 500 low-income Latino families in five different California counties was conducted in order to analyze the relationship between body mass index and food insecurity.
For more information, contact Pat Crawford at pbcraw@uclink4.berkeley.edu or Marilyn Townsend at mtownsend@ucdavis.edu
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Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes in Children: Pathogenesis to Public Policy
Project dates: 10/01 - 9/02
Funded by: Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program
The Center's symposium, Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes in Children: Pathogenesis to Public Policy, was held September 27, 2002 on the UC Berkeley campus. The symposium brought together 34 participants, including a panel of national experts, to assess the current state of knowledge and develop policy recommendations for preventing Type 2 diabetes in children. Literature reviews and policy recommendations were be made available.
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Proceedings: 2007 California Childhood Obesity Conference
Project dates: 8/06 - 10/07 (extended)
Funded by: Gilbert Foundation
The Center created searchable proceedings from presentations at the 2007California Childhood Obesity Conference (where permission was granted) with PowerPoint and accompanying text edited from transcription. A limited number of printed copies were prepared with edited summaries of key presentations.
Process Evaluation of SB 19 and SOS programs to improve the school nutrition environment
Project dates: 6/03 - 5/07
Funded by: The California Endowment
The prevalence of pediatric type 2 diabetes has risen at an alarming rate. NIH funded 2 projects to evaluate the outcome of changes in the school nutrition environment. Process evaluation was not funded adequately, yet is essential if we are to understand how and why these projects succeeded or not. This project will used focus groups, stakeholder surveys, policy tracking, cost analysis and environmental assessments to determine the answers to these questions. Results were disseminated in a user-friendly manner.
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Promoting Wellness in Early Childhood
Project dates: 10/05 - 9/06
Funded by: USDA/FSNEP
Promoting Wellness in Early Childhood worked with caregivers to ensure that they understood the importance of good nutrition for children, and in addition, to help the caregivers adopt healthy eating and activity habits themselves. Research has demonstrated that workers are more likely to educate clients about health behaviors that they have personally adopted, and previous trials have shown that this approach will improve the providers’ self-efficacy in talking with parents about nutrition, and allow providers to model healthy behaviors for the children and families with which they work.
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¿Pueden Escucharme Ahora?
Project dates: 8/07-7/08
Funded by: Foundation for Osteoporosis Research and Education
To reduce the incidence of hip fractures among Latinas in central and east Contra Costa County, the Core Collaborating Team developed Pueden Escucharme Ahora?, an intervention plan of action with effective strategies for motivating Latinas to follow through on recommendations to protect themselves from bone loss, osteoporosis and needlessly debilitating fractures. CWH took the lead in designing the evaluation plan, overseeing the management of Spanish language focus group sessions, and in analyzing the information gathered from these focus groups.
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Reducing Risk of Childhood Overweight Among Immigrant Families From Southeast Asia and China (download Asian language educational brochures)
Project dates: 1/04-9/05
Funded by: USDA/FSNEP
Risk of obesity increases among Asian-American children in California the longer they are in the United States. Agencies and health organizations serving this population have expressed the need for educational materials focused on helping children achieve healthy weights. In collaboration with county staff, UC Berkeley used focus groups to identify the needs and interests of non-English speaking food stamp recipients about childhood overweight. The results of the focus groups were used to design a series of culturally sensitive and relevant educational materials to meet the need and interests of low-income Asian-Americans.
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Soda Out of Schools (SOS): Impact on Adolescent Obesity
Project dates: 9/03-5/06
Funded by: NIH
This project was designed to evaluate whether changing the beverage environment in schools contributes to reducing adolescent weight gain and related health problems. Baseline data was collected in Spring 2003 in four California high schools from 9th and 10th graders. Follow-ups were conducted with the same students in Spring 2004 and 2005. Highly sweetened beverages were replaced with other drinks in two intervention schools in Fall 2003. Students’ beverage intake and weight patterns in these schools were compared to two high schools that did not make the change. In addition to the health effects, the barriers, economic impacts, and acceptability of the change were evaluated through interviews with students, school food services and other staff and stakeholders.
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Taking Action Together - Reducing the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Low-Income African American Children
Project dates: 6/07-7/08
Funded by: Atkins Foundation
This bridge funding helped to maintain the ’05 and ’06 cohorts, and to develop and deliver program to the 130 children and their families participating in the Randomized, Controlled Community Intervention to Reduce the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Overweight African American Children.
Download sample Taking Action Together (TAT) lessons.
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Teaching HEART Smart Cooking to Kids
Project dates: 10/06 - 9/07
Funded by: USDA/FSNEP
CWH created a children’s cooking show, aired on a local cable station and available on video for classroom use, to provide children from a local elementary school the opportunity to actively participate in food preparation and learn first-hand about nutrition, while engaging a larger community audience. Evaluation of the audience reach, recognition of key messages, and audience satisfaction was conducted and used to inform modifications to the delivery of the program for extension into other communities serving large numbers of food stamp eligible families.
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Teaching Kids What to Eat Where They Eat
Project dates: 10/06 - 9/07
Funded by: USDA/FSNEP
Based on data from research which identified the needs for and barriers to using the school cafeteria and other school food service settings for nutrition education, CWH pilot tested a nutrition education tool kit with materials adapted from existing resources and evaluated the program's efficacy in teaching nutrition to food stamp eligible children and their families education in this largely untapped setting.
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Team Nutrition 2
Project dates: 2/04-9/04 (extended)
Funded by: CDE/Nutrition Services Division
The Nutrition Services Division (NSD) of the California Department of Education (CDE) worked with school districts across California to develop and implement policies to improve the nutrition and fitness of children. The Center developed a questionnaire to gain a comprehensive and broad perspective of what schools accomplish and how, and conducted 10 in-depth case studies to know more precisely who the key players/factors were and the roles they played in making improvements in nutrition policy and enforcement, with an emphasis on competitive food sales.
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Team Nutrition 3
Project dates: 3/04-6/05
Funded by: CDE/Nutrition Services Division
In consultation with Nutrition Services Division (NSD) of the California Department of Education staff and the project grantees, the Center developed a standardized set of criteria for assessing replicability of school districts/childcare agencies’ best practices, including strategies related to nutrition education; nutrition and physical activity policies; preparation of healthy, appealing and safe meals; provision of healthy a la carte choices; and improving the meal time atmosphere.
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YMCA Centered Nutrition Education Delivered to Low-Income African American Children and Their Families in Oakland CA
Project dates: 10/06 - 9/07
Funded by: USDA/FSNEP
Nutrition education was delivered primarily, not solely, to African American children, youth and their families, with the goal of reducing intake of sweetened beverages, and increasing intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals and low-fat dairy food. The overall goal of this project was to provide the skills and education needed to foster body weight maintenance via increased physical activity and healthy food choices.
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