Healthy 100 Kids offers health coaches
Healthy 100 Kids offers health coaches
Workshops address learning needs of families
Healthy 100 Kids at Florida Hospital for Children in Orlando is open to children ages 6-17 who have a body mass index (BMI) of 85th percentile or above in children of the same age and sex. One parent must be willing to participate with the child.
When a child is referred to the program, the child meets with a physician, child psychologist, dietitian, and exercise physiologist for an individual assessment. Children return for a reassessment every three months for one year.
To address main learning needs, families attend 10 workshops over a 3- to 6-month timeframe. There are nutrition, exercise, and behavioral topics. These include movement and its benefits, food choices, and body image and self-confidence. There are classes for parents separate from the children, then family workshops. One joint workshop covers meal preparation and family meals, and another is a grocery store tour.
"One of the things we are careful not to do in our program is label anything as bad or good. That sets up issues of guilt. We try to develop a more positive relationship with food, says Kristen Duquaine, MSN, MHA, RN, CDE, director of outpatient services and community health and wellness.
One member of the team is assigned as a health coach to each child and contacts him or her weekly by e-mail or telephone, whichever is preferred. They engage in goal setting and discuss any barriers that prevented the child from achieving a goal. Once the program is complete children will take part in a maintenance program lasting up to five years in which they return for an assessment every six months. However, if a child continues to need more regular support after a year, they can continue in the more intense program with the weekly goal setting and monitoring from health coaches.
Healthy 100 Kids was launched in June 2010, and data on the children enrolled in the program has not yet been evaluated. The program is funded through several partnerships such as a grant from the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation. This funding is necessary because there is little insurance reimbursement, says Duquaine. "Families who have very few resources are the ones who are at highest risk and need this program the most so it is accessible to them," she adds.
Healthy 100 Kids at Florida Hospital for Children in Orlando is open to children ages 6-17 who have a body mass index (BMI) of 85th percentile or above in children of the same age and sex. One parent must be willing to participate with the child.Subscribe Now for Access
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