Family Influences to Prevent Childhood Obesity (4-Health)

Montana State University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Childhood Obesity

Treatments: Behavioral: Healthy Living Information; Behavioral: 4-Health Educational curriculum

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT01510587

4W3685

2009-55215-05334 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The main goal of this project is to develop, deliver, and assess the efficacy of a parent-centered educational program (4-Health) designed to prevent preteen children from becoming overweight.

Full description

Previous studies suggest that parents can play a key role in preventing childhood obesity. Program objectives are to increase parents' knowledge and skills related to nutrition, physical activity, and best parenting practices. Developed from a successful existing program, the proposed program will include a novel classroom curriculum coupled with outside exercises, online resources, and a strong social support network. The curriculum will be developed with input from stakeholders during year 1 and implemented during years 2 and 3. The target groups are children and parents participating in 4-H Youth Development Programs in Montana. Intervention effectiveness will be assessed by comparing objective and self-report data between-groups (intervention vs. control) and within-groups (pre- to post-intervention and at 6 month follow-up). Physiological measures, including resting heart rate, blood pressure, body weight and age- and gender-specific BMI z-scores of children, are expected to show significant improvement among children of parents receiving the intervention compared to a mailed written materials control group. In addition, positive changes are anticipated in outcome measures provided by parents and children, including levels of daily physical activity and specific food and nutrition behaviors. Positive changes in parents' attitudes about diet, body image, and their perceived feeding practices before versus after intervention and at 6 month follow-up are also expected. This project will lead to improved understanding of how parents influence child obesity and improved interventions to prevent obesity.

Enrollment: 194 patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Parent of 8-12 year old child in 4-H Youth Development Programs in Montana
• Child of parent enrolled in study

Exclusion criteria

• Parent of child age outside the 8-12 year old range at start of trial

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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194 participants in 2 patient groups

4-Health Educational curriculum

Experimental group

Description:

Parents participate in 10 face-to-face educational sessions delivered by Extension Agents at individual county locations over a 8-month period (fall to spring).

Treatment:

Behavioral: 4-Health Educational curriculum

Healthy Living Information

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants receive 10 mailed packets of written information derived from USDA's MyPlate website on approximately the same schedule as meetings of the experimental group.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Healthy Living Information