Objective 1.1: Increase access to preventative health and developmental services.
Objective 1.2: Increase access to adequate nutrition and physical activity.
Health promotion strategies such as community outreach and education create awareness of the importance of healthy habits, like eating nutritious foods, consuming more water, and engaging in more physical activity. The prevalence of childhood obesity is a public health concern. In 2014, Madera County’s obesity rates among adults was 34% (California Department of Public Health). Children with overweight parents are more likely to be overweight themselves and at increased risk of experiencing health and social-emotional problems.
The health complications from being overweight or obese as a child can be long lasting, but they are preventable with coordinated and sustained health promotion efforts.
Health prevention strategies, through developmental and behavioral health screenings, help with early identification of problems with hearing, vision, oral health, developmental delays, and social emotional health. Each of these can result in poor academic and health outcomes if left untreated.
