title: Childhood obesity prevention and control in city recreation centres and family homes: the MOVE/me Muevo Project.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interventions to prevent and control childhood obesity have shown mixed results in terms of short- and long-term changes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  'MOVE/me Muevo' was a 2-year family- and recreation centre-based randomized controlled trial to promote healthy eating and physical activity among 5- to 8-year-old children. It was hypothesized that children in the intervention group would demonstrate lower post-intervention body mass index (BMI) values and improved obesity-related behaviours compared with the control group children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty recreation centres in San Diego County, California, were randomized to an intervention or control condition. Five hundred forty-one families were enrolled and children's BMI, diet, physical activity and other health indicators were tracked from baseline to 2 years post-baseline. Analyses followed an intent-to-treat approach using mixed-effects models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant intervention effects were observed for the primary outcomes of child's or parent's BMI and child's waist circumference. Moderator analyses, however, showed that girls (but not boys) in the intervention condition reduced their BMI. At the 2-year follow-up, intervention condition parents reported that their children were consuming fewer high-fat foods and sugary beverages.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Favourable implementation fidelity and high retention rates support the feasibility of this intervention in a large metropolitan area; however, interventions of greater intensity may be needed to achieve effects on child's BMI. Also, further research is needed to develop gender-specific intervention strategies so that both genders may benefit from such efforts.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Behavioral and Community Health, Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Elder
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Crespo
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Corder
authors.forename: G X
authors.initials: GX
authors.lastname: Ayala
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Slymen
authors.forename: N V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Moody
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: McKenzie
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002140:California; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016487:Parenting; D010290:Parents; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011633:Public Facilities; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D020377:Self Efficacy
keywords: Obesity; paediatric; prevention; recreation centres