CATCH (Coordinated Approach To Child Health).
Project Overview
Project Overview
For information on training and implementation, visit the CATCH Global Foundation website.
CATCH (Coordinated Approach To Child Health) is a school-based health program designed to promote physical activity and healthy food choices and prevent tobacco use. CATCH transforms a child’s environment, culture, and society by coordinating child health efforts across all aspects of the educational experience: classroom, food services, physical education, and family. Proven to reverse childhood obesity in El Paso and Austin schools, and adopted by more than 8,500 schools in the United States and abroad, it is the most widespread and researched coordinated school health program in the world.
View over 200 journal publications related to the program.
Visit catch.org for the latest on the CATCH program.
CATCH is supported by over 25 years of rigorous research and development, much of which has been and continues to be conducted by faculty with the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living. While CATCH originated as an elementary school-based program (CATCH Elementary), recent research projects at the Center have expanded and adapted the program for preschool (CATCH Early Childhood) through eighth grade (CATCH Middle School) as well as after-school (CATCH Kids Club).
Below is a list of past funded research projects conducted by the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living:
Past funded CATCH studies
Dell CATCH Elementary School - The Travis County Dell CATCH Project was a four year school- and community-based project aimed at preventing childhood obesity and promoting physical activity (PA) and healthy eating in elementary school-aged children from primarily economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Central Texas CATCH Middle School Project - The Central Texas CATCH Middle School Project aims to promote energy balance-related behaviors in middle school students via organizational enhancements to the middle school environment. The project builds off the CATCH elementary school program framework and includes the following core components: CATCH PE, CATCH classroom curriculum, CATCH Cafeteria/Food Services, and CATCH Family.
Statewide Dissemination of CATCH Middle School - This project will disseminate the recently updated CATCH Middle School program to 300 public middle schools throughout Texas with student populations exhibiting a higher-than-average risk of being overweight or obese. This dissemination will take place between November 1, 2011, and September 30, 2012; evaluation and reporting will be finalized by October 31, 2012.
Dissemination of CATCH Middle School in Dallas Independent School District - For this project we will recruit, train, and fully implement the recently updated CATCH Middle School program in 35 public middle schools in the Dallas Independent School District.
CATCH in Underserved Populations (CATCH UP): Head Start on Healthy Living, Healthy Homes 3 Year Survey - The purpose of this study is to test the efficacy of the CATCH Early Childhood program in reducing and prevalence of obesity and promoting healthy eating and physical activity among 3 to 5 year old children enrolled in Harris County Department of Education Head Start.
CATCH in Underserved Populations (pilot study) - The purpose of this project was to develop the CATCH Early Childhood program and pilot test it for feasibility and acceptability among 3 to 5 year old children enrolled in Harris County Department of Education Head Start centers.
Harris County Steps CATCH Project - The Steps to a Healthier Houston-Harris County Consortium was funded in 2005 to implement the Coordinated Approach To Child Health (CATCH) in all Harris County public elementary schools.
CATCH Evaluation Model (CATCH ‘EM) - The objective of this project was to develop a user-friendly module of evaluation instruments, protocols, and procedures that could be implemented by individual schools to determine the impact effects and process evaluation of the CATCH Program.
CATCH Nutrition Plus - The primary goal of this study was to revise the original CATCH curriculum which is focused on prevention of cardiovascular risk factors to an obesity prevention program.
CATCH En Vivo: Live Life, Don’t Watch It - The primary aim of this project was to develop an add-on component to CATCH to educate families and children to reduce screen time, and consumption of heavily advertised junk food while promoting alternate activities and enhancing factors for healthy weight maintenance in the Texas counties of McAllen and Harlingen.
Project Staff
Project personnel are listed below. Click on a name to view the individual profile.
