National Assembly for Wales
Children and Young People Committee
CO 46
Inquiry into Childhood Obesity
Evidence from : Denbighshire Healthy Schools Scheme
1. The
extent of childhood obesity in Wales and any effects from factors
such as geographical location or social background;
I feel that this is a question for Public Health professionals to
address.
2. The measurement, evaluation and effectiveness of the Welsh of
obesity in children in Wales specifically:
Health related programmes including Change4Life, MEND, Programmes
related to nutrition in schools including Appetite for Life, Cross
cutting programmes for example leisure and sport related programmes
(Creating an Active Wales); planning policy; and
Evaluation and monitoring of health promotion type programmes is
generally weak. When programmes are developed, they should
have clear outcome measures that are measurable. They should
include standardised evaluation tools, which are integrated in to
them so that all partners are evaluating / monitoring in the same
way.
I am unaware of how Change4Life, MEND are measured, evaluated.
Although, I do not feel that MEND is not implemented in a
consistent or fair way across Wales and that there are huge
challenges in attracting families to engage in what could be a very
beneficial programme.
Appetite for Life will be successfully implemented once it has been
passed as statutory. When something becomes legislation,
people are more likely to take note and make the necessary
changes. In terms of measurement, evaluation and
effectiveness of Appetite for Life from an obesity perspective, I
am not aware of how this is being done. It is possible to
measure whether the necessary changes have been made by using the
nutritional analysis data and conducting school audits, but how do
we know that Appetite for Life is making a difference to the extent
of obesity?
With the Strategies such as creating an active Wales a clear
evaluation framework including clear population indicators based on
an outcome focussed approach should be adopted and communicated
strongly from the offset. Where data is unavailable, a data
development agenda should be identified and pushed forward at a
national level.
3. The barriers to reducing the level of childhood obesity in
Wales;
Barriers typically include short term funding streams or late
notification of funding. For example we were presented with a
prime opportunity to develop a Big Lottery Fund project a number of
years ago, but received only a few weeks notice to develop a
project proposal worth over £300,000. Good projects can
be developed, but funding ends with little or no sustainability.
I feel that there are too many different approaches to
reducing/preventing and combating obesity. There perhaps
needs to be a more consistent approach across Wales rather than
each county develop their own plan / strategy or
interventions.
4. Whether any improvements are needed to current Welsh Government
programmes and schemes and any additional actions that could be
explored.
The childhood measurement programme (CMP) is a positive way of
gaining data about our children and young people, but is this going
to be extended beyond the age groups that they currently measure?
Whilst this does provide us with a national picture it is
only actually a reflection of children's BMI and not their
lifestyles, physical activity participation etc.
Nationally (and locally) there seems to be an overload of
questionnaires for pupils in schools to complete about lifestyles,
well being, physical activity participation etc. I personally
feel that WG or PHW need to develop a tool that can be used with
children from primary school through to secondary school (e.g. at
year 3, 6, 9) to help assess lifestyle and well being in general.
This could be an on-line survey with questions similar to
that of the Health Behaviour in School Aged Children. This
would help at a national and local level in painting a clearer
picture of children's lifestyle behaviours, attitudes and knowledge
and understanding about being healthy. This data could be
married up to the CMP? Locally partners and schools would
have a clearer picture about the health behaviours etc of their
children. With such data available could children be targeted
for support?
A consistent approach to recognising Physical activity and
nutrition as a priority in terms of preventing long term limiting
illness and it's implications is necessary. Both are
fundamental to a move towards a preventative agenda. As the
impact of such preventative activity is difficult to measure and
outcomes are often achieved over a far longer term period, longer
term planning is essential.
When new programmes are developed, that greater consideration is
given to their sustainability.
Paula Roberts, Health Schools Coordinator