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Background: Childhood obesity is a public health concern that disproportionately affects populations from low socioeconomic status (SES) and minority groups. Evaluation of social and health risk factors of preschool children living along the Texas-Mexico border provides feedback to design health interventions. Methods: South Texas Early Prevention Study-PreK (STEPS-PreK) is a cluster randomized trial designed to assess the effect of the Bienestar coordinated school health program on children's health outcomes. Family characteristics, dietary intake, fitness, and anthropometric data were collected from 1277 preschool students enrolled in 28 preschools. Results: The response rate was 67%. Overall, 57% of families lived in poverty. The mean age of students was 4.7 years, 95% were Hispanic, and 51% were male. The average serving of fruits and vegetables per day were 1 and 1/3, respectively. Of these, students consumed 39.7% of fruits and 18.9% of vegetables. Obesity prevalence for boys was 19.2% and for girls 16.8%. Nearly one-half reported some form of food insecurity. Conclusions: Children living in low-income areas are affected by high levels of social and health risk factors. It is these families who should be targeted with early-age and culturally appropriate health programs.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of the Bienestar/NEEMA Coordinated School Health Program (BN CSHP) on cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) of preschool children. METHODS: A cluster randomized trial was conducted of preschools in South Texas. Of 48 eligible schools, 28 were randomly assigned (14 intervention, 14 control). Family demographics and household health characteristics were collected from parents and CRF from children. Generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Family demographics, household health characteristics, and children's weight, obesity prevalence, and sedentary activity of the control group were similar to the intervention group at baseline. After adjusting for covariates, the number of laps ran by children in the control group increased by 23% (CI: −5% to 60%) per each data collection period compared with 53% (CI: 7% to 119%) in the intervention group. IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY: State mandates, parent engagement, and funding are key for designing effective health and Physical Education (PE) programs. CONCLUSION: Children in the BN CSHP, compared to those in the control group, had a significantly higher increase in their CRF. This finding is important because of the health benefits of CRF in children. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05501392. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The South Texas Early Prevention Study-PreK, a cluster randomized trial, explored the Bienestar Coordinated School Health Program's influence on health variables in South Texas children. Factors associated with food insecurity (FI) were analyzed. Income-to-poverty ratio, income, and food assistance (FA) program participation were all associated with FI. Forty percent of families (257/643) reporting FI did not utilize FA. Of those families with FI, but who reported no FA participation, 31.8% were FA eligible. Families experiencing FI may underutilize FA programs, despite eligibility. Curtailing obstacles preventing FA program participation and matching those who are eligible with FA programs are crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical inactivity is a major contributing factor to prevalence of obesity and diabetes along the Texas-Mexico Border. Walking has been identified as a popular activity, but appropriate distances are seldom [...]

BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity is a public health concern that disproportionately affects populations from low socioeconomic status (SES) and minority groups. Evaluation of social and health risk factors of preschool children living along the Texas‐Mexico border provides feedback to design health interventions. METHODS: South Texas Early Prevention Study‐PreK (STEPS‐PreK) is a cluster randomized trial designed to assess the effect of the Bienestar coordinated school health program on children's health outcomes. Family characteristics, dietary intake, fitness, and anthropometric data were collected from 1277 preschool students enrolled in 28 preschools. RESULTS: The response rate was 67%. Overall, 57% of families lived in poverty. The mean age of students was 4.7 years, 95% were Hispanic, and 51% were male. The average serving of fruits and vegetables per day were 1 and 1/3, respectively. Of these, students consumed 39.7% of fruits and 18.9% of vegetables. Obesity prevalence for boys was 19.2% and for girls 16.8%. Nearly one‐half reported some form of food insecurity. CONCLUSIONS: Children living in low‐income areas are affected by high levels of social and health risk factors. It is these families who should be targeted with early‐age and culturally appropriate health programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rates of obesity and related health conditions are rising at an alarming rate, especially among minority populations. Sedentary lifestyles in the elderly have been linked to the high rates of chronic illness. This study sought to determine if daily moderate walking exercise reflected changes on weight as well as systolic and diastolic blood pressure in Mexican-American females. Participants for this study were fifty-five Mexican-American females ages sixty to seventy-five, randomly assigned to a treatment or control group. A pedometer was utilized to record steps for participants in the treatment group. After a period of twelve weeks, weight, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure were positively affected for the treatment group, but not the control group. Results indicate that an intervention as simple as pedometer use can impact healthrisk variables in the selected population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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