CARE: Caring and Reaching for Health

CARE (Caring and Reaching for Health) was among the first randomized, controlled trials developed to evaluate two worksite wellness programs designed specifically for child care professionals working at child care centers.

PURPOSE: This project tested the effectiveness of a 6-month Healthy Lifestyles program compared to a 6-month Healthy Finances program. The primary outcome was moderate-to-vigorous physical activity measured via accelerometry. Secondary outcomes included health behaviors (fitness, diet, sleep, tobacco use, and stress) and the workplace health environment.

PROGRAMS:  Healthy Lifestyles was a web-based, goal setting and behavior tracking program accompanied by personalized feedback messaging, educational materials, and center level support to encourage healthy lifestyle habits, primarily physical activity. In addition, the Healthy Lifestyle program encouraged a supportive environment among the centers’ administrators to heighten wellness at the worksite.

Healthy Finances focused on personal financial health and habits, such as budgeting, saving, investing, and planning for retirement, as well as encouraging healthy business practices at the center.

Both CARE programs were web-based and featured the following components: health assessment, kick-off event, educational workshop, tailored weekly feedback, check-in visits, webinars, tailored coaching calls, and attractive educational materials, including high quality magazines targeting child care staff.

REACH:  CARE enrolled 553 providers, representing 56 child care centers. Intervention implementation and data collection were completed in May 2018.

GRANTOR and CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION INFORMATION

National Institutes of Health – HL119568

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02381938

TEAM

Falon Smith, MS, PhD – Project Manager