Pacific Kids DASH for Health

The increasing prevalence of childhood overweight has been found to be related to decreased
levels of physical activity (PA) and increased energy content of the diet. Childhood offers
an opportunity to develop and support health-promoting behaviors. Pacific Kids DASH for
Health (PacDASH) is a community-based intervention that links food, PA, and health, and
targets overweight children in Hawaii with a goal of preventing further weight gain.
Components of the intervention include a food and PA prescription delivered by physicians at
community-based health centers complemented with a toolbox of activities, behaviorally
tailored messages, and PacDASH educational materials. This project will extend and apply the
nationally recommended DASH eating pattern to children and the growing population of Asians
and Pacific Islanders. The investigators will incorporate culturally preferred foods,
recipes, and PA messages that meet DASH and other national guidelines. The approach will
target child food behaviors and social and environmental cues that are important to making
healthy food and PA choices and will provide steps to behavior change. Farmers markets at
participating health centers are a support resource for activities. Providing access to,
coupons for, and guidance about selecting and preparing fresh fruits and vegetables at a
convenient health center farmers market will support increased intake of nutrient-rich foods
among these children who are overweight and at risk for obesity.

Pacific Islanders are among the world's most obese populations while Asians, although of
relatively low body mass index (BMI), carry much of their body fat in the upper body and
exhibit greater health risk at the same BMI. Through this project, the investigators hope to
learn more about body size and composition in children of the Pacific Region for whom there
are few national data. In addition, evaluate the effectiveness of a community-based
intervention within a health care system on managing overweight in children.