CATCH Early Childhood Evidence – Health in Early Childhood Education

January 31, 2019

CATCH Early Childhood (EC) is a preschool-based program designed to encourage physical activity and healthy eating in children ages 3-5. CATCH EC includes 4 components: 1) It’s Fun to be Healthy! classroom curricula consisting of interactive nutrition and garden-based lesson plans and activities, 2) Structured physical activities provided in a CATCH EC Physical Activity Box, 3) Family education including tips for parents to incorporate nutrition and physical activity into home routines, and 4) CATCH EC Coordination Kit to guide center-wide collaboration and environmental changes that promote healthy behaviors. CATCH EC is modeled on the CATCH program which is effective in promoting healthy eating and physical activity [1, 2] and in reducing overweight and obesity [3, 4, 5]. Studies of CATCH EC have shown similar positive trends in physical activity and dietary behaviors and in the prevalence of overweight.