Read examples of obesity prevention initiatives and strategies for educators, health providers and policy makers of rural communities.
Childhood Obesity Prevention Toolkit
For Rural Communities

Recognizing the importance of healthy eating, physical activity, and positive emotional health in children can be challenging to articulate to your patients and parents. Here are some informative tools and training resources to help — Note: the PDFs are best viewed by downloading them locally and viewing using Acrobat 9 or Adobe Reader 9, or later.
Healthy Eating Handouts & Resources
Browse our educational resources to help you educate parents on how kids can eat healthy.
Tools From Nemours Health & Prevention Services (NHPS)
- Early Childhood Primary Care Toolkit (Birth–5 year olds)
- Middle Childhood Primary Care Toolkit (6–11 year olds)
- Late Childhood Primary Care Toolkit (12–18 year olds)
- 5-2-1-Almost None Primary Care Toolkit
Training Resources
From the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at University of North Carolina
Physical Activity Handouts & Resources
Educate parents on how to prevent childhood obesity as well as provide physical activity recommendations for children.
Tools From Nemours Health & Prevention Services (NHPS)
- Early Childhood Primary Care Toolkit (Birth–5 year olds)
- Middle Childhood Primary Care Toolkit (6–11 year olds)
- Late Childhood Primary Care Toolkit (12–18 year olds)
- 5-2-1-Almost None Primary Care Toolkit
Training Resources
From Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at University of North Carolina
Emotional Wellness Handouts & Resources
Here are some articles and helpful websites to learn more about the importance of a child's emotional well-being to his or her overall health.
Social Development in Children
- Bright Futures: a national health promotion and disease prevention initiative that addresses children's health needs in the context of family and community.
- Devereux Early Childhood Initiative (DECI): The mission of the Devereux Early Childhood Initiative (DECI) is to create working partnerships among early childhood educators, mental health professionals and families to promote young children's social and emotional development, foster resilience and build the skills for school success.
Importance of Positive Relationships
Triple P (Positive Parenting Program): Training for Individual Practitioners: The Triple P System is supported by an evidence-based training program with a multidisciplinary focus that assists professionals’ worldwide working with families across a range of service delivery modalities.
Emotional Competence
- Delaware’s B.E.S.T. (Bringing Evidence-based System of Care and Treatment) for Young Children and Their Families — Early childhood mental health consultation aims to build the capacity and improve the ability of staff, families, programs and systems to promote positive relationships and social emotional skills as well as to prevent, identify, treat and reduce the impact of mental health problems among children from ages 2–5 and their families.
- Primary Care Toolkit: Practical Resources for the Integrated Behavioral Care Provider: For mental health professionals working in primary care settings, this guide provides advice and information on collaboration care.
- Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) Training for Individual Practitioners: The Triple P System is supported by an evidence-based training program with a multidisciplinary focus that assists professionals’ worldwide working with families across a range of service delivery modalities.
Self-Control and Regulation in Children & Teens
- Bright Futures: a national health promotion and disease prevention initiative that addresses children's health needs in the context of family and community.
- Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP): educates youth on healthy sexual behavior through abstinence or contraception.
- Triple P (Positive Parenting Program): Training for Individual Practitioners: The Triple P System is supported by an evidence-based training program with a multidisciplinary focus that assists professionals’ worldwide working with families across a range of service delivery modalities.
Health Communication Resources
- Health Literacy and Child Health Promotion: Implications for Research, Clinical Care and Public Policy (from American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Health Communication, Health Literacy and e-Health: The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) has pulled together key tools, research and reports and resources for public health and health communication professionals.
- Healthy People: serves as the foundation for prevention efforts across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- Search Institute – 40 Developmental Assets: Search Institute’s framework of Developmental Assets has become the most widely used approach to positive youth development in the United States. The assets are grounded in extensive research in youth development, resiliency and prevention. They represent the relationships, opportunities and personal qualities that young people need to avoid risks and to thrive.