Addressing Health Disparities in Childhood Obesity, One Summer at a Time

Almost 50% of Native American and Hispanic children are overweight or obese by the 5th grade. Research has demonstrated that the 'obesity gap' facing minority students is largely due to summer weight gain. However, very few summer programs have been tested among these populations. To encourage summer physical activity, the CDC developed a program that partners with local businesses to provide children with a 'scorecard' of subsidized or free local activities. The program has not been tested among Hispanic or Native American children. This study aims to test the impact of the scorecard program on Body Mass Index percentile, physical activity, sedentary behavior, barriers to physical activity and self-efficacy.