Enhancing Well Child Services to Reduce Childhood Obesity
Children begin their lives in an environment that supports life long health.
The importance of the health of our young children was echoed in hui and fono undertaken as part of the Let’s Beat Diabetes (LBD) planning process, where Maori and Pacific peoples gave strong guidance that LBD must focus strongly on our future generations, and place more effort on protecting children from obesity and subsequent disease. Childhood obesity can lead to early onset of diabetes and is a strong predictor of adult obesity.
There are currently a number of major changes in the services focusing on the early years, which create opportunities for review and redevelopment of approaches to improve nutrition and activity for young children. Counties Manukau District Health Board (CMDHB) is working with maternal and Well Child providers to review service provision. The Family Start programme offers opportunities for Well Child providers to be involved in broader whole-family multiple-issues approach to be taken with our most vulnerable families. There is a growing awareness at the levels of research, policy and practice that our current Well Child framework needs to place more emphasis on nutrition and activity in the early years and the long term implications of early onset obesity. There has been mainstream adoption of the evidence that points to increasing risks of diabetes for children born from mothers who are in a pre-diabetic state. Recent changes to Well Child funding have allowed for more flexibility and intensity of service when dealing with vulnerable families.
A professional review of the Well Child framework is required, along with the development of detailed recommendation of practical changes and then the development of workforce training and supporting resources and systems before those changes can be implemented. The LBD agenda also has to sit alongside other reviews of Well Child provision in Counties Manukau.
Interventions/Initiatives for 2005/2006
The interventions/initiatives that are being implemented within this action area in 2005/2006 are:
| Interventions/Initiatives |
KPIs/Milestones |
6.1 Supporting the existing Well Child forum to be the leadership hub for the Well Child action area
The existing forum of Well Child providers has agreed to be the leadership hub for the LBD Well Child action area, and oversee its work programme. |
July 2005, leadership hub in place.
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6.2 Supporting the professional review of Well Child framework
A review of the Well Child assessment tool to include assessment for diabetes and/or childhood obesity risk factors. The review will also look at knowledge and resource provision for parents relating to appropriate nutrition and physical activity needs for growing children.
The review needs to be robust and rigorous as it deals with a nationally defined service and will come under scrutiny from national experts. It is anticipated that dietetic, paediatric and public health expertise will be required.
Further action will be determined by the outcomes of the review. It is anticipated it will include developments to the Well Child framework and training.
Key partners
- Well Child Provider Group Forum and Well Child providers.
Key linkages
- LBD 1.2 – 1.5; action area 2; action area 7; action area 9; 10.6 – 10.10; and the evaluation.
- CMDHB Child and Youth Health, Pacific Health, Maori Health.
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Sept 2005, terms of reference completed and expertise engaged.
Feb 2006, review and recommendations completed, peer reviewed and presented to Well Child leadership hub for guidance on implementation.
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Progress Updates
Click here for progress updates on these interventions/initiatives
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