A school-based nutrition education intervention was implemented with second and third graders who used their functional health literacy skills of reading, writing, and speaking to learn about the MyPlate food model from the United States Department of Agriculture. The pretest-posttest intervention determined if children had ever seen the MyPlate…

Young children's colouring activities are an educational resource, providing an opportunity for children to express their feelings about the people and objects in their lives. To our knowledge, no systematic empirical research has yet addressed the question of how individualised children's colouring materials with a healthy message impact physical…

Early Care and Education (ECE) providers earn low wages, have limited access to employer sponsored health insurance, and are at higher risk for poor health (Lessard, 2020). Evidence shows that poor ECE teacher physical and mental health is associated with decreased ability to provide quality care for young children (Esquivel et al., 2016). One…

Background: We present results of the development and feasibility testing of CATCH Healthy Smiles, a school-based oral health program, among children in grades K-2 in Houston, Texas. Methods: Study design was cross-sectional (N = 2 schools; N = 125 parent-child dyads; 31 kindergarteners, 42 first graders, and 52 second graders). CATCH Healthy…

Objectives: Healthy and sustainable eating should be encouraged in children. This study aimed to create, apply and evaluate the effectiveness of a specially designed, school-based educational programme to promote healthy and sustainable eating in children. Design: Pilot, school-based educational intervention, aimed at promoting health and…

Background: Interventions to promote health have been implemented in some urban settings. However, school-based health promotion interventions in at-risk urban schools have not been thoroughly investigated. Objective: This article investigates teachers' perceptions regarding health promotion interventions with the main goal of establishing social…

Mindfulness-based interventions are increasingly recognized for their positive impact on children's physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral health. However, no mindfulness-based lifestyle interventions have focused on improving both the physical and mental well-being of economically marginalized preschoolers. Therefore, this one-group study…

Background: School efforts to promote health among students are more successful when families and community members are involved. Methods: We conducted a scoping review to summarize and categorize family and community engagement strategies used in US school and out-of-school time (OST) interventions to address physical activity (PA) and nutrition…

Mental health factors can impact student academic performance and success. Student mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety and are a growing concern within P-12 school systems. The dual pandemics of COVID-19 and racial injustice have increased concerns about student mental health and exacerbated existing traumas particularly for…

Early childhood centres are important places for physical activity promotion in young children, considering the amount of time that children spend at childcare centres. The aim of this study was to train early childhood educators on physical activity promotion in children. Participants included 150 preschool children (75 female; M age =…

The Cooperative Extension system is uniquely positioned to lead rural community efforts to prevent obesity in early childhood. This article explores best practices in promoting healthy weights among young children and shares examples and resources relevant to Extension programming. The West Virginia (WV) Healthy Children Project aims to improve…

The physical environment in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) institutions provide children with possibilities for play. This study describes a physical environmental intervention aiming to increase the possibilities for functional play in the indoor environment, and its influence on children's well-being and physical activity. The…

Background: Through the Texas Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration study, we implemented and evaluated a system-oriented model of primary and secondary prevention approaches to mitigate obesity among low-income Texas children aged 2 to 12 years. Primary prevention included implementing the Coordinated Approach To Child Health Early Childhood…

The aim of this study was to test a training and technical assistance program in early care and education (ECE) center-based programs focused on obesity prevention -- Healthy Way to Grow (HWTG). After completing a self-assessment, ECE programs develop actionable policies to improve the wellness environment. Then, they receive individualized…

Obesity and overweight in early childhood have detrimental impacts on children's health and development. Changing policy, system and environmental features focused on physical activity and healthy eating behaviors as part of health promotion interventions can play a key role in prevention strategies in early childhood education settings. These…