Evaluation of a childhood obesity intervention in Manchester,Version 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Evaluation of the Children's Health and Monitoring Programme (CHAMP) in raising parental awareness of childhood obesity in Manchester.
IRAS ID
213709
Contact name
Matthew Sperrin
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 1 days
Research summary
At age 11, one in four children is obese in Manchester. Obesity in childhood is a strong risk factor for a continued obesity trajectory into adulthood, and a range of later life health conditions. In an attempt to help combat childhood obesity, an online database and feedback system has been introduced in Manchester called Children's Health and Monitoring Programme (CHAMP). CHAMP aims to raise parental awareness of the child's Body Mass Index (BMI). Alongside this, annual weighing and measuring of all school children across Manchester was rolled out by CHAMP to supplement the existing weighing and measuring that takes place in Reception and year 6, as part of the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP). However, we don't know whether the CHAMP feedback system works for the parents/carers for whom this is intended and equally, we don't know how they feel about receiving feedback via an online feedback system? Therefore, using the three-pronged method of evaluation called the ‘trident’, this study aims to understand the perspectives of key stakeholders including parents and carers and staff regarding the CHAMP programme. These findings will be used alongside data from other sources to enable us to evaluate and improve the CHAMP programme for the benefit of children and their families. The study will predominantly take place in primary schools in Manchester and will use qualitative research methods only. In order to seek different perspectives from different types of people who may have different experiences, five primary schools will be recruited to the study on the basis of: (1) Deprivation levels in Manchester wards; (2) Prevalence of overweight and obesity in Manchester wards; (3) Prevalence of parents of primary school children who have logged on to the CHAMP website in the previous school year. The perspectives of mid to high level members of staff from primary schools, the NHS and Public Health will also be obtained but this will be done at a lesser scale and predominantly at their places of work.
REC name
North West - Haydock Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/NW/0880
Date of REC Opinion
16 Dec 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion