Adapting CATCH for Obesity Prevention and Control

University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston: University of Texas Prevention Research Center

Topics:
Nutrition & Physical Activity for Youth | Obesity & Overweight | School Health

Researchers are revising and augmenting materials from the Coordinated Approach To Child Health (CATCH) program—a school-based curriculum shown to reduce heart disease risk factors for school children—to reflect current research on diet-related obesity prevention strategies for children. The new curriculum, CATCH Nutrition Plus, will be pilot-tested and then evaluated among 3rd and 4th grade students at eight Texas schools where most students are Hispanic or Latino (a population at high risk for overweight and obesity). Four schools will receive CATCH Nutrition Plus and the other schools will receive the original CATCH program. Evaluators will compare the intervention and control groups’ changes in body mass index, dietary habits, knowledge of healthy food choices, and self-efficacy to improve diet. Social and psychological factors that contribute to students’ diet and physical activity levels will also be assessed. The effective elements of CATCH Nutrition Plus will be incorporated into the CATCH program for dissemination. Results may also provide public health practitioners with updated nutrition information and effective obesity prevention strategies.

 

Back to Research Projects