title: Project FIT: rationale, design and baseline characteristics of a school- and community-based intervention to address physical activity and healthy eating among low-income elementary school children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This paper describes Project FIT, a collaboration between the public school system, local health systems, physicians, neighborhood associations, businesses, faith-based leaders, community agencies and university researchers to develop a multi-faceted approach to promote physical activity and healthy eating toward the general goal of preventing and reducing childhood obesity among children in Grand Rapids, MI, USA.
  
  
  METHODS
  There are four overall components to Project FIT: school, community, social marketing, and school staff wellness - all that focus on: 1) increasing access to safe and affordable physical activity and nutrition education opportunities in the schools and surrounding neighborhoods; 2) improving the affordability and availability of nutritious food in the neighborhoods surrounding the schools; 3) improving the knowledge, self-efficacy, attitudes and behaviors regarding nutrition and physical activity among school staff, parents and students; 4) impacting the 'culture' of the schools and neighborhoods to incorporate healthful values; and 5) encouraging dialogue among all community partners to leverage existing programs and introduce new ones.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At baseline, there was generally low physical activity (70% do not meet recommendation of 60 minutes per day), excessive screen time (75% do not meet recommendation of < 2 hours per day), and low intake of vegetables and whole grains and high intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, French fries and chips and desserts as well as a high prevalence of overweight and obesity (48.5% including 6% with severe obesity) among low income, primarily Hispanic and African American 3rd-5th grade children (n = 403).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01385046.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA. jce@msu.edu
authors.forename: Joey C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Eisenmann
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alaimo
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pfeiffer
authors.forename: Hye-Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Paek
authors.forename: Joseph J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.forename: Tracy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Deanne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kelleher
authors.forename: Hyun J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Orth
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Randall
authors.forename: Kellie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mayfield
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Holmes
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008824:Michigan; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control; D011203:Poverty; D016730:Program Development; D012574:Schools; D040241:Social Marketing