The preschool years offer an opportunity to interrupt the trajectory toward obesity in black children. The Hip‐Hop to Health Jr. Obesity Prevention Effectiveness Trial was a group‐randomized controlled trial assessing the feasibility and effectiveness of a teacher‐delivered weight control intervention for black preschool children. The 618 participating children were enrolled in 18 schools administered by the Chicago Public Schools. Children enrolled in the nine schools randomized to the intervention group received a 14‐week weight control intervention delivered by their classroom teachers. Children in the nine control schools received a general health intervention. Height and weight, physical activity, screen time, and diet data were collected at baseline and postintervention. At postintervention, children in the intervention schools engaged in more moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (MVPA) than children in the control schools (difference between adjusted group means = 7.46 min/day, P = 0.02). Also, children in the intervention group had less total screen time (−27.8 min/day, P = 0.05). There were no significant differences in BMI, BMI Z score, or dietary intake. It is feasible to adapt an obesity prevention program to be taught by classroom teachers. The intervention showed positive influences on physical activity and screen time, but not on diet. Measuring diet and physical activity in preschool children remains a challenge, and interventions delivered by classroom teachers require both intensive initial training and ongoing individualized supervision.

Objective: This pilot study tested the feasibility of Family‐Based Hip‐Hop to Health, a school‐based obesity prevention intervention for 3–5‐year‐old Latino children and their parents, and estimated its effectiveness in producing smaller average changes in BMI at 1‐year follow‐up.Design and Methods: Four Head Start preschools administered through the Chicago Public Schools were randomly assigned to receive a Family‐Based Intervention (FBI) or a General Health Intervention (GHI).Results: Parents signed consent forms for 147 of the 157 children enrolled. Both the school‐based and family‐based components of the intervention were feasible, but attendance for the parent intervention sessions was low. Contrary to expectations, a downtrend in BMI Z‐score was observed in both the intervention and control groups.Conclusions: While the data reflect a downward trend in obesity among these young Hispanic children, obesity rates remained higher at 1‐year follow‐up (15%) than those reported by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2009–2010) for 2–5‐year‐old children (12.1%). Developing evidence‐based strategies for obesity prevention among Hispanic families remains a challenge.

The COVID-19 pandemic is the greatest global public health crisis since the 1918 influenza outbreak. As of early June, the novel coronavirus has infected more than 6.3 million people worldwide and more than 1.9 million in the United States (US). The total number of recorded deaths due to COVID-19 are growing at an alarming rate globally (³383,000) and nationally (³109,000) Evidence is mounting regarding the heavier burden of COVID-19 infection, morbidity, and mortality on the underserved populations in the US. This commentary focuses on this global health pandemic and how mitigation of the virus relies heavily on health behavior change to slow its spread, highlighting how the pandemic specifically affects the most socially and economically disadvantaged populations in the US. The commentary also offers short, intermediate and long-term research and policy focused recommendations. Both the research and policy recommendations included in this commentary emphasize equity-driven: (1) research practices, including applying a social determinants and health equity lens on monitoring, evaluation, and clinical trials activities on COVID-19; and (2) policy actions, such as dedicating resources to prioritize high-risk communities for testing, treatment, and prevention approaches and implementing organizational, institutional, and legislative policies that address the social and economic barriers to overall well-being that these populations face during a pandemic. It is our hope that these recommendations will generate momentum in delivering timely, effective, and lifesaving changes.