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Targeting obesity in low-income, rural children
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Purdue University will help develop nutrition programs in two Indiana communities as part of a $4.5 million U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to study obesity in preschool-age children of low-income rural families in seven north-central states.
The goal of the research and Extension program is to enable communities to provide needed resources to create and maintain healthy eating and physical activity in children 3-5 years of age. "That is a crucial time for obesity prevention," said Angie Abbott, the Purdue Extension specialist in foods and nutrition who is coordinating the project. "It's a time when children are forming their eating habits."
Research will be integrated with Extension education to help communities identify issues that cause obesity, such as watching too much television, eating too much sugar and not having playground equipment at parks.
Researchers also will determine whether there are "food deserts"—rural areas lacking nearby grocery stores that offer nutritional food such as fresh fruits and vegetables.
Programs will be designed for individual communities to help meet their specific needs. "It won't be 'one size fits all,'" Abbott said.
Results will be shared with the state and nationally to help communities with similar obesity issues.
By Keith Robinson
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