Abstract
BACKGROUND: Reducing health inequalities is a top priority of the public health agendas in Europe. The EPHE project aims to analyse the added value of a community-based interventional programme based on EPODE methodology, adapted for the reduction of socio-economic inequalities in childhood obesity. The interventions that will be implemented by this project focus on four energy balance-related behaviours (fruit and vegetable consumption, tap water intake, physical inactivity, sleep duration) and their determinants. This article presents the design of the effect evaluation of the EPHE project.
METHODS/DESIGN: This is a prospective two-year follow-up evaluation study, which will collect data on the energy balance-related behaviours and potential environmental determinants of 6-8 year olds, depending on the socio-economic status of the parents. For this purpose a parental self-reported questionnaire is constructed. This assesses the socio-economic status of the parents (5 items) and the dietary (12 items), sedentary (2 items) and sleeping (4 items) behaviour of the child. Alongside potential family-environmental determinants are assessed. The EPHE parental questionnaire will be disseminated in schools of a selected medium-sized city in seven European countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Greece, Portugal, Romania, The Netherlands).
DISCUSSION: This study will evaluate the effects of the EPHE community-based interventional programmes. Furthermore, it will provide evidence for children's specific energy balance-related behaviours and family environmental determinants related to socio-economic inequalities, in seven European countries.
Original language | English |
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Journal | BMC Public Health |
Volume | 14 |
Issue number | 303 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2014 |
Keywords
- Adult
- Child
- Diet
- Energy Metabolism
- Europe
- Female
- Follow-Up Studies
- Health Behavior
- Health Promotion
- Humans
- Male
- Obesity
- Parents
- Pediatric Obesity
- Population Surveillance
- Prospective Studies
- Risk Reduction Behavior
- Schools
- Sedentary Lifestyle
- Social Class
- Social Environment
- Surveys and Questionnaires
- Journal Article
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't