Effect of enrollment length in migrant Head Start on children's weight outcomes.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine whether the length of children's enrollment in Migrant Head Start affects children's weight outcomes. Children in the Michigan Migrant Head Start program were classified depending on years of enrollments: one year (n = 638), two years (n = 293), and three or more years (n = 426). Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine whether the probability of children having overweight or obesity differed depending on years of enrollment. There is a lower obesity rate among children who attended Head Start for multiple years than in those who attended for one year. Among children who attended for one year, those who enrolled for more weeks were more likely to be overweight than those who enrolled for fewer weeks. Children with special needs, those with more siblings, and those on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) had a lower obesity rate. Although the primary goal of the Head Start Program is school readiness rather than health improvement, migrant and seasonal farmworkers' children might need more years of comprehensive intervention, such as Head Start, to prevent obesity by making full use of the beneficial nutrition programs. SNAP access and other culturally competent practices could also reduce the obesity rate.