MA Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration (CORD) Project

Mass in Motion Kids is a whole-of-community intervention in Fitchburg and New Bedford, Massachusetts that incorporates evidence-based interventions across multiple sectors and at multiple levels. The overall goal of the study is to examine the extent to which the comprehensive, systematic intervention reduces childhood obesity among underserved children.

The clinical intervention implements evidence-based interventions each city's federally-qualified community health center. Intervention components aim to improve primary and secondary prevention of childhood obesity and implement changes at four levels: clinician; parent-family; organizational; and environmental. We additionally provide training and educational materials to other pediatric clinicians in the two communities. The clinical intervention components include (1) advanced training on clinical quality improvement and obesity prevention, assessment, management; (2) computerized, point-of-care decision support tools for clinicians; (3) implementation of multi-disciplinary weight management programs within the community health centers, e.g. Healthy Weight Clinics (HWC); (4) integrating community health workers into the primary care and HWC teams; and (5) health center environmental changes to support behavior change modification.