Third Ward Wellness Study for Families

University of Houston

Status: Completed

Conditions: Child Obesity

Treatments: Behavioral: Healthy Toddler Parent Group; Behavioral: FUNPALs Playgroup

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03590301

STUDY00001076

Details and patient eligibility

About

The Third Ward Wellness Study aims to pilot test a wellness program for families with toddler age children. Participants will be recruited from the Third Ward neighborhood in Houston, TX and then randomly assigned to one of two wellness programs. The goal of both programs is to enable and inspire parents to help their toddler age children develop healthy habits that will stay with them through life. Participating families will complete an assessment batter before and after the program. Both programs will meet once per week for 10 weeks.

Full description

Dietary and activity habits begin to develop in early childhood. Parents have the most influence on children's health behaviors at this age. Many parents, particularly those from lower income and underserved areas may benefit from programs to inspire and enable them to raise their toddler age children with good health habits. The experimental group was developed to help parents instill healthy habits in their children through a healthy home environment. This study will pilot test the experimental group among parent-toddler dyads residing in Greater Third Ward neighborhoods, where > 80% of the residents are AA or Hispanic and 35%-54% have annual household incomes <$25,000. The aims are to ascertain 1) recruitment and retention barriers and facilitators, 2) treatment success barriers and facilitators, and 3) the estimated effect sizes of outcomes to inform a fully powered RCT. The exploratory hypotheses are that compared to those in the control group, parents in the experimental group will have greater increases in positive parenting skills (Comprehensive General Parenting Questionnaire), and toddlers will have greater increases in indicators of a healthy home environments, diets and activity habits (MVPA, sedentary activity, and sleep).

Enrollment: 27 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Parents need to be...

• The legal custodian of a toddler,
• At least 18 years,
• Able to make food decisions in the home,
• Have access to a phone at home,
• Be fluent in English Toddlers need to be...
• Between 12 and 36 months of age
• Be able to walk.

Exclusion criteria

• Adults unable to consent for themselves and their child,
• Parents or toddlers who have mental or physical health conditions that would prevent them from fully engaging in activities of the program (e.g., reliance on feeding tube).

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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27 participants in 2 patient groups

FUNPALs Playgroup

Experimental group

Description:

Based on Self-Determination Theory, the FUNPALs Playgroup will enable and inspire parents to encourage their children to improve their diet and activity behaviors through general authoritative parenting, structured feeding practices, and a healthy home environment. Parents and toddlers will participate in the FUNPALs Playgroup together where they will be led through a series of open but structured activities including free play, exercise, snack preparation, discussion, singing, and yoga stretches.

Treatment:

Behavioral: FUNPALs Playgroup

Healthy Toddlers Parent Group

Active Comparator group

Description:

The goal of the Healthy Toddlers Parent Group is to deliver the same nutrition and activity messages to parents as those delivered in the FUNPALs Playgroup. In the Healthy Toddlers Parent Group, parents (without children) will meet in groups to receive information on nutrition and activity as it relates to their toddlers and they will engage in a discussion around how they do or can implement these behaviors. No experiential learning, children, play, or parenting instruction will be included in this control condition.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Healthy Toddler Parent Group