Growth and Healthy Development in Your Community

Appendix D
National Children’s Study Assembly Meeting
Breakout Session Summary: Growth and Healthy Development in Your Community
December 17, 2003
Sheraton Atlanta Hotel
Atlanta, GA

Facilitators:
Peter C. Scheidt, M.D., M.P.H., National Children’s Study Director, NICHD, NIH
Sara S. Knox, Ph.D., Developmental and Behavioral Scientist, NICHD, NIH

Opening Remarks

Dr. Scheidt opened the meeting by stating that the purpose was to engage the community and stimulate the interest and involvement of outside experts in the National Children’s Study (Study) development. He also said that the meeting included representatives from the media, federal government, private organizations, academic institutions, contractors, and others.

Dr. Scheidt asked the participants to describe their areas of interest and what they hoped to gain by attending. The responses included:

• Learn more about how the Study deals with overweight children
• Injury prevention
• The overall growth of a healthy community
• Promote healthy behavior
• How the media affects children’s health and behavior
• Interested in the Study and its impact
• Possible opportunities to do grants.

Dr. Scheidt then commented on some of the aspects of the Study.

• The protocol to be designed with specific components and some flexibility
• Protocols will be standardized across centers
• The study will determine social and environmental risks and contributions to healthy development.
• Standardized measurement of children during different developmental stages.

Co-facilitator Dr. Knox initiated discussion to get input from the participants on different variables that they thought were important for the Study. Some of the issues discussed were:

• Onset of pregnancy
• Physical activity of mother
• Overweight
• Delivery
• Breastfeeding
• Stress and environmental risks during pregnancy.

Nobuo Isshiki, Project Manager for MHK Broadcasting Culture Institute, described his study in Kawasaki City, south of Tokyo. He explained that the goal of the study is to investigate the effect of media on the culture and on children. It is a 3-year study with 1,224 participants and socioeconomic heterogeneity. The investigators are analyzing the content of television programs and associated changes in children’s behavior. The first phase of the study is now complete and Dr. Isshiki described some of the practical and theoretical insights that had been gleaned. In particular, he noted that one of the most useful aspects of recruitment had been the media. He suggested that the Study utilize the media to assist with study recruitment. However, their recruitment differs somewhat from that of the Study in that the Kawasaki City study emphasizes the use of technology, which people are highly motivated to promote. Kawasaki City is heavily populated, and residents are savvy and interested in technological development.

Dr. Scheidt informed the group about the current status of the Study:

• The protocol is being developed
• The full Study is still not funded
• One of the most important aspects is to get community involvement
• The sampling unit will consist of pregnant mothers and their children.

Other suggestions that came from the group included:

• Exposure to more than just a Web site
• Need ownership and input from investment communities. This can be achieved by holding community meetings both in the recruitment stage and after the protocol is designed. The latter approach could facilitate recruitment by adding small additional components that are tailored to specific communities, thus increasing community involvement and commitment to the Study.
• One of the greatest challenges of the Study will be retention of families.
• Utilizing nonprofit organizations, such as schools and churches, could help retention.
• Finding a highly-clustered community to allow for measurement of community characteristics.
• Utilizing national nonprofit organizations
• Selecting a sample of obstetrical centers with women who are in the early stages of pregnancy.
• Utilizing a Search Conference Concept composed of community entities and NGOs-pulling together communities in meetings to establish goals for community involvement.
• Recommend assessment of childcare environment and quality.

In Attendance:

Nobuo Isshiki, MHK Broadcasting Culture Institute
Chet Johnson, M.D., American Academy of Pediatrics
Paula Darby Lipman, Ph.D., Aspen Systems Corporation
Jeffrey K. Okamoto, M.D., FAAP, University of Hawaii
Bettylou Sherry, Ph.D., Maternal and Child Nutrition Branch, CDC, DHHS
Fuki H. Saal, Japan Broadcasting Corporation