Background: The HEALTHY primary prevention trial developed an integrated multicomponent intervention program to moderate risk factors for type 2 diabetes in middle schools. The nutrition component aimed to improve the quality of foods and beverages served to students. Changes in the School Breakfast Program (SBP), National School Lunch Program…

A study was conducted to identify the norms, values, and perceptions of urban immigrant Mexican American (MA) parents of school children relative to physical activity, healthy eating, and child risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Investigators facilitated five focus groups in an urban elementary school setting and analyzed data using qualitative…

Among children and youth who develop type 2 diabetes (T2DM) there are a number of genetic and environmental factors that lead to a combination of insulin resistance and relative-cell secretory failure of the pancreas. These factors include ethnicity (highest in American Indian youth), obesity, sedentary behavior, family history of T2DM, puberty,…

Childhood obesity is a national public health crisis. The National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP), the National Institutes of Health and Kaiser Permanente have developed community tools and resources for children and families to lower their risk for obesity through healthier, active lifestyles. The authors describe innovative practices and…

Management of diabetes in children requires balancing nutrition, physical activity and medication on a daily basis in order to achieve blood glucose targets. The health educator can assist children and their families in meeting their diabetes management goals by better understanding the current recommendations and tasks involved to achieve them.…

Physical activity is a proven form of diabetes management and is considered a cornerstone in the prevention of diabetes. In children with diabetes, physical activity may improve insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake in skeletal muscle. Aerobic-based physical activity lasting 40-60 minutes daily for a minimum of four months is shown to enhance…

Baby fat may be cute, but chubby kids could be in imminent health jeopardy. This cautionary advice is most certainly extended to the parents of children with special needs. This article examines the association of childhood obesity with the development of diabetes and discusses the prevalence of obesity among individuals with intellectual…

Today's generation of American children may be the first to have a lower life expectancy than their parents. Childhood obesity has increased 35% in the past 10 years. Carrying excess weight for years can lead to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and premature death. For the first time, there are…

"Child Care Health Connections" is a bimonthly newsletter published by the California Childcare Health Program (CCHP), a community-based program of the University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing, Department of Family Health Care Nursing. The goals of the newsletter are to promote and support a healthy and safe environment…

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is reaching epidemic proportions among children and adolescents. School health fairs offer an opportunity to identify children with risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study identified selected risk factors (i.e., high-risk racial/ethnic group, obesity, elevated blood pressure, elevated…

This research brief, the seventh in a series of National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) briefs, examines the presence of special health care needs among children in the child welfare system (CWS). It specifically examines the presence of chronic health conditions (e.g., asthma, diabetes) and special needs (e.g., emotional…