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B'More Healthy; Communities for Kids (BHCK)

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Obesity
Interventions
Behavioral: Intervention
Registration Number
NCT02181010
Lead Sponsor
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Brief Summary

The BHCK study will develop, implement, and evaluate a community-based obesity prevention program, which operates at multiple levels of an urban food system (policy, wholesaler, corner stores, carryout, household, individual; in Baltimore, MD), and will improve the healthy food supply chain to increase affordability, availability, purchasing and consumption of healthy foods within low-income, minority neighborhoods.

Detailed Description

Our overarching goal is to develop and evaluate a community-based obesity prevention program, which operates at multiple levels of an urban food system (policy, wholesaler, corner stores, carryout, household, individual; in Baltimore, MD), and will improve the healthy food supply chain to increase affordability, availability, purchasing and consumption of healthy foods within low-income minority neighborhoods. Our research will include stakeholders/ partners at different levels, e.g., the policy, wholesaler, retailer, adult caregiver, and individual child levels, and then develop, implement, and assess a two year multi-level systems-based child obesity prevention strategy targeting minority and low-income children (predominantly AA). Thirty low-income, predominantly AA geographic zones will be identified ("healthy eating zones"). Half of these zones will be randomized to intervention, while the other half will be control. Within each intervention zone we will work with 3-5 small food stores and prepared food sources to increase access to healthy foods through wholesaler discounts, display point of purchase promotional materials, and provide nutrition and food preparation education targeting youth and caregivers. We will work with local policymakers to institutionalize and sustain these changes.

The project will evaluate the impact of the program on: a) healthy food pricing and availability, b) low income African American adult food purchasing and preparation, and c) low-income African American youth diet, and associated psychosocial factors.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
890
Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
FACTORIAL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
InterventionInterventionThe intervention is a multi-level, multi-component intervention designed to increase access to and consumption of healthier foods in low-income, urban, minority neighborhoods. Intervention components will occur at the policy level; food wholesaler level; small food retail outlet level; neighborhood level; household level.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Small Retail Food Store - Healthy Food AvailabilityUp to 4 years

A food environment checklist (a modified from the NEMS questionnaire) will be conducted before and after the intervention to assess healthy food availability in both intervention and comparison neighborhoods/ stores.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Household Healthy Food PurchasingUp to 4 years

At the adult consumer level, we will use an Adult Impact Questionnaire to examine trends in frequency of purchasing of specific promoted foods pre- and post-intervention. We will score the questionnaire to look at individual food items, as well as at changes in groups of foods developed previously (e.g., healthy and unhealthy food scores, and based on Healthy Eating Index categories).

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Johns Hopkins University

🇺🇸

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

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