Preventing Weight Gain and Unhealthy Behaviors in Children

University of South Carolina

Status: Completed

Conditions: Obesity

Treatments: Behavioral: Summer Camp

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04608188

Pro00091526

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will address engagement in unhealthy behaviors, low levels of self-regulation, and unhealthy weight gain for children from low-income households.

Full description

Evidence suggests that components within structured days (e.g., school days) have a positive influence on children's obesogenic behaviors (i.e., diet, sleep, physical activity, sedentary behaviors) and self-regulation. In this pilot study children will be randomized to two arms: attend a structured summer camp, not attend a camp. The investigators hypothesize that children attending the summer camp will engage in more healthy obesogenic behaviors, display higher levels of self-regulation, and subsequently will experience less weight gain than children not attending the summer camp. To test this hypothesis the following specific aims will be accomplished: Aim 1 (Primary): Compare changes in BMI z-scores and fitness among children from low-income households attending a structured summer day camp and those not attending a structured summer day camp. Aim 2 (Secondary): Compare changes in obesogenic behaviors among children attending a structured summer day camp and those not attending a structured summer day camp. Aim 3 (Exploratory): Explore changes in self-regulation and the moderating effect of these changes on primary and secondary outcomes among children attending and not attending a structured summer day camp.

Enrollment: 89 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 5 to 12 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• participants will be boys and girls that attend one of the participating schools
• indicates "yes' on an informed consent document for participation in the study

Exclusion criteria

• diagnosis of an intellectual disability, such as Down Syndrome, Fragile X, Fetal Alcohol and/or a physical disability, such as wheelchair use, that prevents the ability to ambulate without assistance.
• children who plan to enroll in a summer camp during the year that they participate in the study will also be excluded from the study.
• No other exclusion criteria will be used.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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89 participants in 2 patient groups

Summer Program

Experimental group

Description:

Children in the intervention will attend a summer day camp operated at their school.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Summer Camp

No Program

No Intervention group

Description:

The control children will not receive an intervention of any kind and will be asked to go about their summer as they typically would.