Promoting Heart Health in Preschool Children

Valentin Fuster

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 3

Conditions: Cardiovascular Health

Treatments: Behavioral: Children-Multicomponent intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01551355

GCO 09-0702

Details and patient eligibility

About

As part of the Colombian Hearty Health Initiative program led by Mount Sinai Cardiovascular Institute, a multidisciplinary team design and implemented a pedagogic and communication strategies for the promotion of healthy heart habits (PPHH) in preschoolers. This included educational materials, pedagogical activities and the use of Sesame Workshop healthy habits for life materials. For Colombia, the latter were largely developed in collaboration with the Colombian Society of Pediatrics, Colombian Society of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery, Colsubsidio and Fundación Cardioinfantil-Instituto de Cardiología.

Full description

Background Increased levels of risk factors during childhood create an important life-long burden that favors the development of cardiovascular (CVD) disease in adulthood. Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that cardiovascular disease risk factors are identifiable in childhood and persist through to adulthood. It is unknown whether interventions targeting preschoolers may change knowledge, attitudes and habits (KAH) towards healthy lifestyles and, eventually, reduce the burden of CVD.

The goal of the proposed study is to assess over a five month intervention period, the impact of an educational intervention on preschooler's knowledge of, habits and attitudes towards healthy eating and living an active lifestyle. The impact of the intervention will be also assessed in parents and teachers.

Methods The investigators will conduct a cluster, randomized controlled trial in 1216 pre-school children 3 to 5 years of age, 928 parents, and 120 teachers from 14 preschool facilities in Bogotá, Colombia in a low socioeconomic and underprivileged community. Randomization will occur at the facility level. The intervention will include classroom activities and use of printed material (books, posters, teachers' guides, games) and videos. Meanwhile, children in the control facilities will continue with their usual curriculum. A structured survey will be used at baseline and end of study to evaluate changes in KAH and the authors a priori give differential weights (70-20-10, respectively) to the scores to compose a standardized weighted total score (WTS). The primary outcome will be the change in children's WTS and the secondary outcomes will be the changes in parents' and teachers´ WTS.

Potential Impact of the Trial If found to be effective in improving the short-term changes in knowledge, attitudes and habits, the educational intervention may have the potential to influence the children's' diet and physical activity patterns throughout their lifetimes by early interventions when attitudes and habits are formed. The program also targets parents and teachers who contribute to shape children's attitudes and habits and who are often at high risk for health problems associated with unhealthy diet and limited physical activity themselves. The program aims to empower local partners in the health, education, media and government sectors to build up the capacities to ensure sustainability. If proven efficacious in the short term, further evaluative studies should test the hypothesis that this program will serve as an effective and sustainable model to improve children's health worldwide.

Enrollment: 2,279 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 3 to 5 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Children attending one of the 14 H.I. in Usaquén
• Children who are 3, 4, or 5 years of age at the time of the beginning of the intervention

Exclusion criteria

• Unwillingness to provide informed consent
• Children who have received formal training in healthy habits in nutrition and / or physical activity in the 6 months prior to the start of the follow-up period of the study.
• Children who plan to receive formal training in healthy habits in nutrition and / or physical activity during the follow-up study period.

Trial design

2,279 participants in 2 patient groups

Children-Multicomponent intervention

Experimental group

Description:

The intervened children were provided classroom educational and playful activities during 5 months, which included Sesame Workshop Healthy Habits storybooks, posters, videos, games, and songs (1 hour daily); a "Healthy family day" workshop (1 hour); and weekly health notes. Parents participated in 3 workshops and weekly notes containing positive health messages about nutrition and active lifestyles to share with their children. Teachers also participated in 3 centralized training sessions, plus personalized working sessions with a research supervisor (2 hours every 15 days), and received a teacher's guide.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Children-Multicomponent intervention

children - control group

No Intervention group

Description:

The control preschool facilities continued with their usual preschool curriculum