Obesity resists simple treatments, especially in today's environment which promotes unhealthful eating, sedentary behaviors, and poor sleep habits. Early childhood is a developmentally plastic period during which the right environmental and developmental influences may entrain healthful weight trajectories for life. Preventing obesity in early childhood cannot be achieved by working in single disciplines, but rather warrants a broad systems perspective to frame the problem, identify critical leverage points of influence, and take effective action. Whole communities represent loci in which multiple sectors, levels, and key leverage points converge. The overall goal of this US-Australian collaborative project is to advance intervention science by addressing what works, for whom and under what circumstances? To achieve this goal, we will use a novel, iterative, approach that combines computational systems science modeling with empirical information from two completed and two new whole-of-community intervention programs. We will develop, test, and refine our computational agent-based model through repeated and bi-directional interaction with data from these interventions. Through these efforts we aim not only to design and refine our own obesity prevention efforts in young children, but also to create a flexible agent-based model with wide applicability to aid future efforts. Beginning with dynamic hypotheses from our preliminary systems mapping work and the literature, we will apply and test an initial model using already collected data from 2 completed interventions that successfully changed behavior and BMI: 1.) Shape Up Somerville (Mass.), a community-wide, multi-environmental and policy intervention among school-age children; and 2.) Romp & Chomp, a whole-of-community obesity prevention demonstration project for preschoolers in one city in the state of Victoria, Australia. Next, we will iteratively refine the model using fine grained data drawn from participatory group model building exercises in both Somerville and Australia, and process data from a new state-wide quasi-experimental trial of childhood obesity intervention trial in Victoria. We will then apply the improved model and insights generated from this first set of studies to design, plan and conduct a new pilot intervention, Shape Up Under-5, a re- designed version of Shape Up Somerville targeting underserved children age 0-5 years and their primary caregivers. At the end of the proposed project, we will test and calibrate the final model with outcome data from the multi-year trial in Victoria and the Somerville pilot. To achieve these aims we have assembled a trans-disciplinary research team with extensive expertise in obesity prevention, computational systems modeling, community-based research, and implementation science. The impact of this project lies in the potential to inform new and sustainable strategies to reduce the burden of childhood obesity and its consequences in the US and abroad.

Public Health Relevance

Preventing childhood obesity requires a broad systems perspective. In this project, we will develop and test a computational agent-based model through repeated, bi-directional interaction with 2 completed and 2 new whole-of-community early childhood obesity prevention programs, in the US and Australia. We aim not only to enhance our own obesity prevention interventions, but also to create a flexible systems science model with wide applicability to aid future efforts. The impact of this project lies in the potential to inform new and sustainable strategies to reduce the burden of childhood obesity and its consequences in the US and abroad.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01HL115485-05
Application #
9312864
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1)
Program Officer
Arteaga, Sonia S
Project Start
2013-09-01
Project End
2018-04-30
Budget Start
2017-05-01
Budget End
2018-04-30
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2017
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Inc.
Department
Type
DUNS #
071721088
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02215
Owen, Brynle; Brown, Andrew D; Kuhlberg, Jill et al. (2018) Understanding a successful obesity prevention initiative in children under 5 from a systems perspective. PLoS One 13:e0195141
Marks, Jennifer; Sanigorski, Andrew; Owen, Brynle et al. (2018) Networks for prevention in 19 communities at the start of a large-scale community-based obesity prevention initiative. Transl Behav Med 8:575-584
McGlashan, Jaimie; Nichols, Melanie; Korn, Ariella et al. (2018) Social network analysis of stakeholder networks from two community-based obesity prevention interventions. PLoS One 13:e0196211
Korn, Ariella R; Hennessy, Erin; Hammond, Ross A et al. (2018) Development and testing of a novel survey to assess Stakeholder-driven Community Diffusion of childhood obesity prevention efforts. BMC Public Health 18:681
Alston, Laura; Peterson, Karen Louise; Jacobs, Jane P et al. (2017) Quantifying the role of modifiable risk factors in the differences in cardiovascular disease mortality rates between metropolitan and rural populations in Australia: a macrosimulation modelling study. BMJ Open 7:e018307
Economos, Christina D; Hammond, Ross A (2017) Designing effective and sustainable multifaceted interventions for obesity prevention and healthy communities. Obesity (Silver Spring) 25:1155-1156
Herbert, Jessica; Peterson, Karen Louise; Alston, Laura et al. (2017) Comparison between measured and perceived weight status in a nationally representative sample of Australian adults. Obes Res Clin Pract 11:414-425
Peterson, Karen Louise; Jacobs, Jane Philippa; Allender, Steven et al. (2016) Characterising the extent of misreporting of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes using the Australian Health Survey. BMC Public Health 16:695
Strugnell, Claudia; Turner, Kyle; Malakellis, Mary et al. (2016) Composition of objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behaviour participation across the school-day, influence of gender and weight status: cross-sectional analyses among disadvantaged Victorian school children. BMJ Open 6:e011478
Morrissey, Bridget; Malakellis, Mary; Whelan, Jill et al. (2016) Sleep duration and risk of obesity among a sample of Victorian school children. BMC Public Health 16:245

Showing the most recent 10 out of 30 publications