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Multicenter Study
. 2015 Feb;11(1):23-36.
doi: 10.1089/chi.2014.0059. Epub 2015 Jan 9.

Evaluation overview for the Massachusetts Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration (MA-CORD) project

Kirsten K Davison  1 , Jennifer Falbe, Elsie M Taveras, Steve Gortmaker, Martin Kulldorff, Meghan Perkins, Rachel E Blaine, Rebecca L Franckle, Claudia Ganter, Jennifer Woo Baidal, Jo-Ann Kwass, James Buszkiewicz, Lauren Smith, Thomas Land; MA-CORD Study Group
Collaborators, Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Evaluation overview for the Massachusetts Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration (MA-CORD) project

Kirsten K Davison et al. Child Obes. 2015 Feb.

Abstract

Background: The Massachusetts Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration (MA-CORD) project is a 2-year, multilevel, multisector community intervention to prevent and control obesity among children 2-12 years of age from two predominantly low-income communities in Massachusetts. MA-CORD includes evidence-based interventions in multiple sectors, including community health centers, early care and education centers, schools, afterschool programs, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, and the broader community. Currently, implementation of MA-CORD is complete and the final year of data collection is in progress. Here, the MA-CORD evaluation plan is described and baseline data are presented.

Methods/design: The impact of MA-CORD on children's BMI, lifestyle behaviors, obesity-related care, and quality of life will be assessed using sector-specific, pre/post, time-series, and quasi-experimental designs. Change in the primary outcomes will be compared for intervention and comparison communities. Additionally, change in mean BMI and obesity prevalence in intervention school districts will be compared to similar districts throughout the state.

Results: At baseline in 2012, approximately 16% of preschool-aged and 25% of school-aged children were obese. Moreover, 15-40% of children consumed no vegetables on the previous day, 25-75% drank a sugar-sweetened beverage on the previous day, up to 87% had insufficient physical activity, 50-75% had a television in the room where they slept, and 50-80% obtained insufficient sleep.

Conclusions: There is ample room for improvement in BMI and health behaviors in children in MA-CORD communities. If successful, MA-CORD may serve as a model for multilevel, multisector approaches to childhood obesity prevention and control.

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Conflict of interest statement

No competing financial interests exist.

Figures

<b>Figure 1.</b>
Figure 1.
Summary of key intervention and evaluation components for the Massachusetts Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration (MA-CORD) project.
<b>Figure 2.</b>
Figure 2.
Summary of data streams utilized in the MA-CORD evaluation.
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