UTSA project aims at making children "Healthy and Ready to Learn"

The Child and Adolescent Policy Research Institute (CAPRI) at the UTSA Downtown Campus has launched an obesity and diabetes prevention program for young children, thanks to a $275,000 two-year grant from the Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio.

The project, with Dr. Suzanne Winter, associate professor in the College of Education and Human Development, as principal investigator, is targeting 100 families with preschool-aged children in the Edgewood area of San Antonio. Co-investigators are Dr. Arthur Hernandez, Dr. Zenong Yin and Dr. Ashley Love of the College of Education and Human Development. Research coordinatator is Susan Veitshegger, an early childhood specialist with CAPRI.

Entitled “Healthy and Ready to Learn: An Early Childhood Approach to Obesity and Diabetes Prevention,” the program is an excellent example of how UTSA is promoting basic and applied research that addresses the critical issues of the community – a key element of its three-fold mission of instruction, discovery and community service.

President Ricardo Romo noted that “since UTSA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1969, the University has been committed to outreach and research programs that benefit our community, and the childhood obesity prevention project is one of the most compelling we have addressed.”

“The project is being developed within an existing school readiness project,” said Dr. Winter, "and will address a serious gap in our community’s efforts to prevent diabetes by launching an early approach to obesity and diabetes prevention.”

She said that the objective of the "Healthy and Ready to Learn” project is to implement research-based strategies aimed at providing diabetes education and health promotion activities to some 300 children ages 3 to 5, their families and their child care teachers.

UTSA received $150,000 from Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio last fall to launch the program, and will receive another $125,000 later this year, if matching funds can be identified.

2/07

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