Early Prediction and Prevention of Obesity During Childhood (EPPOC)

• Dr Sarah Redsell, University of Nottingham (Principal Investigator)
• Dr Judy Swift, University of Nottingham
• Professor Min Yang, University of Nottingham
• Professor Chris Glazebrook, University of Nottingham
• Dr Dilip Pathmanathan, Nottingham University Hospitals Trust
• Professor A. Niroshan Siriwardena, School of Health & Social Care, University of Lincoln.

• To assemble a Guideline Development Group (GDG). This will include all stakeholders including healthcare professionals and parents
• To undertake a systematic review of behavioural interventions delivered during infancy to reduce the risk of childhood obesity
• To assemble the evidence and prepare a guideline for health visitors to identify and manage infants at risk of obesity; in conjunction with advice from national and local stakeholders
• To pilot the acceptability of the guideline in practice with a small sample of health visitors.

• Systematic Review that will explore the overall research question of: What behavioural interventions delivered during infancy reduce the risk of childhood obesity? The review will use the PICOS framework as recommended by the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination. The review will incorporate randomised control trials and case control trials, concentrating on three outcomes: Child BMI (weight and height), Child body fat percentage, Child age at follow-up
• Data Interpretation and development of the Guideline. The GDG will interpret the evidence in the context of the review outcomes. In the event that there is insufficient evidence from the review, the GDG will use a consensus method to identify current best practice. A group of national experts involved in the Association for the Study of Obesity will be asked to comment on the utility of the guideline prior to implementation
• A resource pack will be developed which will contain a training manual to accompany the guideline
• The guideline will be piloted and any comments – its feasibility, acceptability and usability – fed into the refinement of the tool.

• The outcome of this project will be a guideline for health visitors to use with parents of infants at risk of developing childhood obesity
• The systematic review will be submitted for publication and conference presentations
• Copies of the guideline will be sent to key national stakeholders such as the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, CPHVA and the Department of Health
• A press release will be issued by the University of Nottingham prior to launching the guideline.

Peer reviewed publications

Redsell SA, Edmonds BA, Swift JA, Glazebrook C, Weng SF, Nathan D, Siriwardena AN (2016). Systematic review of behavioural and non-behavioural interventions, delivered during infancy and the antenatal period, that reduce the risk of overweight and obesity in childhood. Maternal and Child Health 12(1):24-38.

Redsell SA, Swift J, Nathan D, Siriwardena AN, Atkinson P, Glazebrook C. (2013) UK health visitors’ role in identifying and intervening with infants at risk of developing obesity. Maternal and Child Nutrition, 9 (3): 396-408.

Redsell SA, Atkinson P, Nathan D, Siriwardena, A. Niroshan, Swift JA, Glazebrook C (2011) Preventing childhood obesity during infancy in UK primary care: a mixed-methods study of HCPs’ knowledge, beliefs and practice. BMC Family Practice, 12 (54). pp. 1-9 Open access publication – highly accessed status.

Redsell SA, Atkinson P, Nathan D, Siriwardena AN, Swift JA, Glazebrook C (2010) Parents’ beliefs about appropriate infant size, growth and feeding behaviour: implications for the prevention of childhood obesity. BMC Public Health, 10 (711): 1-10. Open access publication – highly accessed status.

Conference abstracts in peer reviewed journals

Redsell SA, Atkinson P, Nathan D, Siriwardena AN, Swift J, Glazebrook C. Primary prevention of childhood obesity: views from primary care. Paper presented at the Royal College of Paediatric and Child Health Annual Conference, Warwick UK, 5-7th April 2011. Abstract published in Archives of Disease in Childhood, 2011, Suppl 1, 96, A9-A11.

Redsell SA, Atkinson P, Nathan D, Siriwardena AN, Swift J, Glazebrook C.UK parents’ beliefs about infant growth and feeding in relation to obesity prevention. Poster presented at The 3rd Congress of the European Academy of Paediatric Societies (EAPS) Copenhagen, Denmark, October 23-26, 2010. Abstract published in Paediatric Research, 2010, 210, 409.

Published abstracts

Redsell SA, Atkinson P, Nathan D, Siriwardena AN, Swift J, Glazebrook C. Early years’ prevention of childhood obesity: the challenges facing UK health visitors. Poster presentation at the International Conferences in Community Health Nursing Research (ICCHNR) Biennial Symposium, Edmonton, Canada, 4th-6th May 2011.

Redsell SA, Atkinson P, Nathan D, Siriwardena AN, Swift J, Glazebrook C. Early Prediction and Prevention of Obesity in Childhood (EPPOC study). Poster presented at SAPC, National Conference, Norwich, UK, 7-9th July 2010.

Redsell SA, Atkinson P, Siriwardena AN, Glazebrook C, Nathan D, Swift J. GPs’ and practice nurses’ role in the prevention of childhood obesity in primary care: balancing knowledge about risk factors and practice. Paper presented at the London Regional SAPC conference, Cambridge, UK, 4-5th February 2010.

Atkinson P, Redsell SA, Glazebrook C, Swift J, Siriwardena AN, Nathan D. Recruiting nurses as research participants – what are the issues? Paper presented at the RCN conference, Cardiff, UK, 24th-27th March 2009.