Eating Better Together: A Pilot Study
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Summary
Eating Better Together is a 6-month pilot program that teaches families about healthy eating and activity and provides home deliveries of fresh fruits and vegetables from a local retail partner.
Description
Efficacious primary care-based childhood overweight/obesity interventions for children from low-income homes are needed to address health disparities. The University of Tennessee (UT) and Cherokee Health Systems (CHS), a federally qualified health center, has piloted a 6-month childhood overweight/obesity intervention for underserved children (R34DK109504). The intervention was based upon Prevention Plus, the recommended primary care-based treatment for childhood overweight/obesity, which includes targeting fruit and vegetable (FV) and sugar-sweetened beverage intake, physical activity, and sc…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 4–10 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * Patients at the Cherokee Health Systems clinic in Cherokee Mills * Child age between 4 to 10 years old * Child BMI \> 85th percentile * Child must have an adult caregiver (\> 18 years) living in the household and be willing to participate in the program * Adult caregivers need to be able to read and speak English Exclusion Criteria: * Not patients at the CHS Knox County Pediatric Clinic * A child not within the 4 to 10 years age range * Child BMI at or below the 85 percentile * Child without an adult caregiver (\> 18 years) living in the household and not willing to pa…
Interventions
- BehavioralPrevention Plus
Families will receive a behavioral intervention for childhood obesity provided by a BHC. This will consist of three, in-person meetings (months 1, 3, and 5), and three, 20-minute phone calls (months 2,4, and 6). During in-person visits, child height and weight will be taken, and BMI will be plotted on the BMI-for-age growth chart. During these sessions, families will receive feedback on child growth and weight status. Prevention Plus materials and child and caregiver energy balance behavior goals will be reviewed. The phone calls will be with the caregiver, where caregivers will be asked to measure the height and weight of their child, calculate BMI, and plot on the BMI-for-age growth chart. The BHC will discuss the family's progress on achieving child and caregiver goals and implementation of behavioral parenting strategies. Families will receive a fruit and vegetable prescription (FVx) in addition to the standard Prevention Plus family-based behavioral weight loss treatment.
Locations (2)
- Cherokee Health Systems, Dameron Avenue PedatricsKnoxville, Tennessee
- Healthy Eating and Activity LaboratoryKnoxville, Tennessee