Back to Basics: Addressing Childhood Obesity Through Traditional Foods in Alaska

Back to Basics is a mixed-methods intervention trial to reduce the prevalence of obese Alaska Native children by increasing the proportion of nutrient-dense traditional and non-traditional foods consumed, and decreasing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). This 5-year intervention trial targeting 0-5 year olds is conducted in partnership with Rural Community Action Program, Inc. (RCAP) Head Start (HS), Early Head Start (EHS), and Parents as Teachers (PAT) programs in 12 rural Alaskan communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwim (YK) region, where each site is assigned to either a 9-month nutritional education and meal program intervention or a standard education and meal program repeating annually.

This intervention trial aims to increase consumption of local traditional foods and nutrient-dense non-traditional foods, decrease SSB consumption, and decrease prevalence of obesity in children 3-5 years old by: (1) adjusting the nutritional content of existing meal services provided by RCAP to children ages 3-5 years; (2) providing culturally relevant nutrition education to families of children 0-5 years; (3) developing local and community driven initiatives that provide knowledge and skills and engage families in the gathering and preparing of local traditional foods; and (4) incorporating available and emerging resources (e.g. Fish/Farm-to- Schools) to increase integration of traditional foods into the diet.

Phase 1 involves the collection and analysis of formative and baseline data to help guide the intervention in Phase 2.

Phase 1 includes:

1. Gathering baseline height/weight and food/SSB consumption data previously collected on children ages 0-5 years enrolled in YK RCAP programs.

2. Conducting formative studies in the 12 YK communities to better understand attitudes towards childhood obesity and barriers/enablers to traditional foods consumption

3. Creating/integrating a traditional foods-focused nutrition curriculum into RCAP menu programs in YK communities.

4. Work to expand the "Fish to Schools" and "Farm to Preschool" programs into YK RCAP HS programs.

Phase 2 includes implementing:

1. A physical activity curriculum in HS programs in all communities
2. A traditional food in HS menu program in intervention communities
3. A home-based nutrition program in intervention communities
4. A mechanism to document traditional foods important to each community