Healthy Growth Initiative
Advisory Alert
March 20, 2018
* Cette information est seulement disponible en anglais.
To our community primary care providers:
Today, roughly one-third of Canadian children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 years are affected by overweight or obesity1. As these rates continue to climb, the mental and physical impact on these children and our health care system becomes more serious.
Evidence has shown that weight-related behaviours are established in early childhood and are frequently carried into adulthood1. Thus, early childhood is a critical time for obesity prevention strategies2. In an effort to facilitate obesity prevention efforts, Ontario’s Better Outcomes Registry & Network (BORN) is currently leading the development and implementation of a provincial system through its Healthy Growth Initiative.
This initiative will enable BORN to obtain accurate and timely information on pediatric growth parameters from the Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) of primary care providers.
To have the greatest positive impact on child health, concerted, coordinated and collaborative efforts across all sectors of society are needed. Public Health Sudbury & Districts urges you to consider participating in this initiative, as your participation will assist with identifying vulnerable populations and regions within the province.
As a result, strategies to effectively influence childhood weight-related behaviours can be developed so we can all support children on the path to health.
For more information and instructions on participating in the Healthy Growth Initiative, please see the attached flyer, What is BORN ? (PDF, 519 KB).
Sincerely,
Ariella Zbar, MD, CCFP, MPH, MBA, FRCPC
Associate Medical Officer of Health and Director, Clinical Services
1 Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (Public Health Ontario), (2013). Addressing obesity in children and youth: evidence to guide action for Ontario. Retrieved from https://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/eRepository/Addressing_Obesity_Children_Youth_Sept2013.pdf
2 Biro, S., Barber, D., Williamson, T., Morkem, R., Khan, S., & Janssen, I. (2016). Prevalence of toddler, child and adolescent overweight and obesity derived from primary care electronic medical records: an observational study. Canadian Medical Journal Association, 4, E538-E544. doi: 10.9778/cmajo.20150108
This item was last modified on March 20, 2018