title: Play it forward! A community-based participatory research approach to childhood obesity prevention.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To date there has been limited success with childhood obesity prevention interventions. This may be due in part, to the challenge of reaching and engaging parents in interventions. The current study used a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to engage parents in cocreating and pilot testing a childhood obesity prevention intervention. Because CBPR approaches to childhood obesity prevention are new, this study aims to detail the creation, including the formation of the citizen action group (CAG), and implementation of a childhood obesity prevention intervention using CBPR methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  A CBPR approach was used to recruit community members to partner with university researchers in the CAG (n = 12) to create and implement the Play It Forward! childhood obesity intervention. The intervention creation and implementation took 2 years. During Year 1 (2011-2012), the CAG carried out a community needs and resources assessment and designed a community-based and family focused childhood obesity prevention intervention. During Year 2 (2012-2013), the CAG implemented the intervention and conducted an evaluation. Families (n = 50; 25 experimental/25 control group) with children ages 6-12 years participated in Play It Forward!
  
  
  RESULTS
  Feasibility and process evaluation data suggested that the intervention was highly feasible and participants in both the CAG and intervention were highly satisfied. Specifically, over half of the families attended 75% of the Play It Forward! events and 33% of families attended all the events.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Equal collaboration between parents and academic researchers to address childhood obesity may be a promising approach that merits further testing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota Medical School.
authors.forename: Jerica M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Berge
authors.affiliation: Whitney M. Young Jr. School of Social Work, Clark Atlanta University.
authors.forename: Seok Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Family Social Science Department, University of Minnesota.
authors.forename: Carrie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hanson
authors.affiliation: Family Social Science Department, University of Minnesota.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Doty
authors.affiliation: Play It Forward! Paha Sapa Neighborhood Community Members.
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jagaraj
authors.affiliation: Play It Forward! Paha Sapa Neighborhood Community Members.
authors.forename: Kent
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Braaten
authors.affiliation: Family Social Science Department, University of Minnesota.
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Doherty
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003256:Community Participation / Q000379:methods; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D016730:Program Development