Does the left hand know what the right hand is doing? Part II: Alignment between the AFRI Childhood Obesity Prevention Challenge Area Program and the 2010 Dietary Guidelines

Abstract

Funding integrated research projects is essential to address the health of our nation's children and decrease the burden of preventable diseases. In response in 2010, USDA's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Childhood Obesity Prevention Challenge Area was established. The Childhood Obesity Prevention (COP) Challenge Area program funds integrated projects; models of optimal collaboration between research, education and Extension agricultural knowledge systems. This study examined the alignment between funded projects in COP and the five major concepts of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2010 DGA); Balancing Calories to Manage Weight, Foods and Food Components to Reduce, Foods and Nutrients to Increase, Building Healthy Eating Patterns, and Helping Americans Make Healthy Choices. Thetopic modeling tool PushGraph compared the text of the 2010 DGA and project proposals from the COP program area. Results were limited to funded projects with at least 10% similarity to the 2010 DGA and proposals received after 1 January2011. A total of 29 COP projects, in whole $66,887,383 were identified. All(100%) eligible projects had ≥15% similarity to the 2010 DGA. Meaning at least 15% of the project proposal discussed one of the five 2010 DGA topics. Two COP projects (7%) had 15% similarity, 14 (48%) had 16–20% content alignment, and for 13 (45%) projects more than 1/5 of the proposal discussed a 2010DGA concept. The majority, 10 (34%), of COP projects were Helping Americans MakeHealthy Choices. The least, 2 (7%), COPprojects related to Building HealthyEating Patterns, 3 (10%) integrated projects addressed Foods and Food Components to Reduce, 5 (17%) were aligned with Foods and Nutrients to Increase, and 9(31%) COP projects performed research, education, and Extension activities working toward Balancing Calories to ManageWeight. These 29 COP awards represent27 institutions ‐‐ two institutions received 2 awards. The majority of awards, 18 (62%), were made to1862 Land Grant Universities, 1 (3%) award was made to an 1890 Land Grant University, 5 (17%) awards were made to Non Land Grant Public Universities, and5 (17%) awards were made to private universities. Overall, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA Childhood Obesity Prevention Challenge Area program achieved strong alignment with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Future efforts continue to be made by NIFA to increase the representation of 1890 Land Grant Universities, 1994 Tribal Colleges, Minority and Hispanic Serving Institutions among awarded institutions. Continued utilization of topic modeling may not only facilitate alignment between the Childhood Obesity Prevention program and the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, but also enhance the coordinated efforts of federal agencies to improve our nation's health.