Pacific Obesity Prevention In Communities (OPIC) Project

Background

The Pacific OPIC Project is helping to fill important evidence gaps in how to reduce adolescent overweight and obesity in both developed and developing countries. It involves a series of analytical and intervention studies in young populations in Fiji, Tonga, New Zealand and Australia from 2005 - 2009.

Objectives:

To determine the overall impact (including cost effectiveness) of comprehensive, community-based intervention programs on overweight/obesity prevalence in young populations
To assess the feasibility of the specific intervention components and their impacts on eating and physical activity patterns
To identify the socio-cultural factors that promote obesity and how they can be influenced
To analyse the effects of food-related policies and policy changes in Fiji and Tonga on the supply of foods that might influence obesity prevalence
To estimate the overall burden of childhood obesity (including loss of quality of life) and how resources can be best allocated to prevent obesity
To increase the capacity of Pacific research in the area of obesity prevention

Design:

Quasi-experimental designs are being used with over 15,000 adolescents measured in intervention and comparison sites across the four countries at the beginning and end of the 3-year intervention period. The analytical studies will inform the interventions as well as provide vital information on the socio-cultural, policy and economic aspects of childhood obesity.

Significance:

This is one of the largest obesity prevention studies in adolescents anywhere and one of the largest health studies ever in the Pacific.

Funding:

Funded through the International Collaborative Research Grants Scheme by the Wellcome Trust (UK), National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia) and Health Research Council (NZ).

Pacific Obesity Prevention In Communities (OPIC) Project

Background

OPIC Report Annex 2006