ECONOMIC AND RACIAL/ETHNIC DISPARITIES IN EARLY OBESITY ARE CONSEQUENTIAL BECAUSE THEY STRONGLY PREDICT ADULT OBESITY AND ASSOCIATED CO-MORBIDITIES, SUCH AS DIABETES AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, AND CONTRIBUTE TO DECREASED SOCIOECONOMIC ACHIEVEMENT ACROSS THE LIFE-COURSE. PREGNANCY AND INFANCY REPRESENT CRITICAL PERIODS IN WHICH OBESITY-PROMOTING FEEDING STYLES AND PRACTICES DEVELOP. THE STARTING EARLY PROGRAM (STEP) WAS DESIGNED TO TARGET THESE PRACTICES SPECIFICALLY FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES AT HIGH RISK, AND TO DELIVER COMPREHENSIVE OBESITY PREVENTION FROM PREGNANCY THROUGH EARLY CHILDHOOD UTILIZING PRIMARY CARE. THE STEP INTERVENTION HAS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED MATERNAL NUTRITION KNOWLEDGE AND CHILD FEEDING PRACTICES, AND SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED CHILD WEIGHT OUTCOMES AT AGE 2 YEARS. UNDERSTANDING PRENATAL AND EARLY LIFE PREDICTORS OF DIET, WEIGHT, ADIPOSITY, AND CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH LATER IN CHILDHOOD AND WHETHER EARLY PREVENTIVE INTERVENTIONS SUCH AS STEP CAN IMPACT THESE OUTCOMES ISA CRITICAL NEXT STEP.THIS PROPOSAL IS AN INTEGRATED PROJECT INCLUDING RESEARCH TO STUDY PRENATAL AND EARLY LIFE PREDICTORS OF DIET, WEIGHT, ADIPOSITY, AND CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH AND LONG-TERM INTERVENTION IMPACTS IN A UNIQUE COHORT OF SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN. THE PROPOSAL INTEGRATES RESEARCH WITH EDUCATION OF FAMILIES, NUTRITION AND HEALTH SCIENCE TRAINEES AND PROVIDERS, AND EXTENSION INTO NYU GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULA, PRIMARY HEALTH CARE NETWORKS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, CORNELL UNIVERSITY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION, AND THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS. THE STEP COHORT IS THE ONLY EXISTING LARGE COHORT OF LOW-INCOME HISPANIC MOTHER-CHILD PAIRS FOLLOWED LONGITUDINALLY SINCE PREGNANCY. FINDINGS WILL FILL CRITICAL KNOWLEDGE GAPS REGARDING DISPARITIES IN OBESITY AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK, BUILD EDUCATIONAL CAPACITY, AND EXTEND AND DISSEMINATE THE INNOVATIVE STEP PREVENTION APPROACH.