Preliminary Effectiveness of the Culture of Wellness in Preschools (COWP) parent wellness workshops

Abstract

Objective:

The objective of this study was to understand the impacts of a comprehensive wellness workshop series on parent behaviours and to assess whether this was affected by language and delivery method (virtual/in-person).

Design/Setting:

Culture of Wellness in Preschools (COWP) is a comprehensive early childhood obesity prevention programme that promotes a ‘culture of wellness’ by increasing fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity in families. This study evaluated a core component of Culture of Wellness, the Parent Wellness Workshops, delivered virtually and in-person in English and Spanish. The workshops covered key topics including trying new foods, physical activity and screen time, beverages, celebrating family health, and promoting positive eating behaviours.

Methods:

Multiple mixed effects linear models assessed differences in pre- and postsurveys administered at the start and end of the workshop. Six health behaviour outcomes were assessed: fruit intake, vegetable intake, beverage intake, physical activity, and screen time in parents, controlling for age.

Results:

All health outcomes showed statistically significant improvement, except for screen time. Effectiveness did not differ by delivery method or language except for water intake, with more of an increase in water intake in adults attending virtual programming (P = .02).

Conclusions:

The Culture of Wellness parent wellness workshops led to significant changes in eating patterns and physical activity in this sample of caregivers. This study fills a gap in the literature by assessing differences in health promotion programme impact across language and delivery methods, thereby informing programme planning and implementation for English- and Spanish-speaking communities.