Abstract
BackgroundThe National Child Measurement Programme was established to measure the height and weight of children at primary school in England and provides parents with feedback about their child’s weight status. In this study we will evaluate the impact of the National Child Measurement Programme feedback on parental risk perceptions of overweight, lifestyle behaviour and health service use.MethodsThe study will be a prospective cohort study of parents of children enrolled in the National Child Measurement Programme and key service providers from 5 primary care trusts (administrative bodies responsible for providing primary and secondary care services). We will conduct baseline questionnaires, followed by provision of weight feedback and 3 follow up questionnaires over the course of a year. Questionnaires will measure change in parental risk perception of overweight, health behaviours and health service use. Qualitative interviews will be used to identify barriers and facilitators to change. This study will produce preliminary data on National Health Service costs associated with weight feedback and determine which feedback approach (letter and letter plus telephone) is more effective.DiscussionThis study will provide the first large scale evaluation of the National Child Measurement Programme feedback. Findings from this evaluation will inform future planning of the National Child Measurement Programme.
Highlights
The National Child Measurement Programme was established to measure the height and weight of children at primary school in England and provides parents with feedback about their child’s weight status
The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) for England was established by the Department of Health in 2005 to measure the height and weight of every child in reception and year 6 at state primary schools in England [2]
Setting We will recruit five primary care trusts (PCTs), administrative bodies responsible for providing primary and secondary care services, from in and around London and invite all parents of children enrolled in the NCMP to participate
Summary
The National Child Measurement Programme was established to measure the height and weight of children at primary school in England and provides parents with feedback about their child’s weight status. In this study we will evaluate the impact of the National Child Measurement Programme feedback on parental risk perceptions of overweight, lifestyle behaviour and health service use. There is evidence that parents have a poor recognition of their child’s weight status [5,6,7] and parents who are unable to identify their child’s overweight and the associated health risks may be less likely to prioritise promoting healthy lifestyle behaviours and seeking help for their child [8,9]. To date there has been no large scale evaluation of the effectiveness and acceptability of feedback
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