A Hybrid Mobile Phone Family Intervention to Prevent Childhood Obesity
University of California, Los Angeles
Summary
Consumption of sweetened beverages, media-viewing, and physical activity patterns are often established during early childhood, and family-based obesity interventions show effectiveness in shaping healthy behaviors and weight outcomes for young children, including Latino children. Missing from these interventions, however, are methods to increase accessibility and dissemination to multiple family caregivers. The proposed work will use a randomized study design to evaluate the impact a family-based early childhood obesity intervention for Latino families that incorporates evidence-based strategies of in-person childhood obesity interventions, mobile phones, and leverages important determinants of Latino health (e.g. familism, language) in order to decrease ethnic disparities in childhood obesity and cardiovascular risk.
Description
Research Design The proposed research design is a prospective randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a family-based childhood obesity intervention that uses a "hybrid" approach of in-person and mobile phone components compared to usual WIC care. Approximately, 260 families (130 in each of the groups and oversampled for a 30% attrition rate) will be recruited from WIC centers in Los Angeles County in the neighborhoods of East Los Angeles, where \>95% of clients are of Mexican descent, and from MacArthur Park ("Little Central America") near downtown Los Angeles, where \> 80…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 2+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: Adult caregivers of a young child who: * self-identify as an individual of Latino descent * have a 2- to 5-year-old child/grandchild who is overweight or obese, defined as having a BMI\>85% for age and sex * lives with or cares for the child at least 20 hours per week (the relationship does not have to be biological * speaks Spanish or English * ability and willingness to participate in the intervention (determined with a Subject Comprehension and Participation Assessment Tool) * agrees to complete baseline, 1-, 6-, 12-month post-intervention data collection protocols Ex…
Interventions
- BehavioralFamily-Based Childhood Obesity Intervention
The study will focus on the effectiveness of a community- and family-based intervention that will involve multiple family caregivers. The intervention will include in-person and mobile phone components focusing on Latino caregivers of young children, to support evidence-based and age appropriate dietary, media-viewing, and physical activity practices among 2- to 5-year old children.
Location
- Head StartLos Angeles, California