Enhancing Self Regulation as a Strategy for Obesity Prevention in Head Start Preschoolers
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Sponsor
- University of Michigan
- Enrollment
- 697
- Locations
- 2
- Primary Endpoint
- Change in Body Mass Index Z-score
Study Overview
Brief Summary
The goal of this integrated project targeting the Childhood Obesity Prevention Challenge Area is to reduce the prevalence of obesity among children attending Head Start in Michigan. The proposed intervention program is based on Social Cognitive theory and the premise that enhancing children's capacity for emotional and behavioral self-regulation is a key component of effective obesity prevention. A randomized controlled trial design is proposed to evaluate, among 600 Head Start children and their parents, the effectiveness of 2 approaches to obesity prevention: (1) the Parents of Preschoolers Prevention Series (POPS), a curriculum delivered to preschoolers and their parents focused on obesity-related health behaviors; and (2) POPS in combination with the Incredible Years Series (IYS), an evidence-based program designed to improve preschoolers' emotional and behavioral self-regulation. The research objective is to test the hypotheses that: (1) POPS, compared to Usual Head Start exposure, will lead to greater improvements in obesity-related health behaviors and adiposity indices; and (2) POPS + IYS will lead to the greatest improvements in obesity-related health behaviors and adiposity indices, and this effect will be mediated by improved self-regulation. The extension objective is to evaluate the feasibility, fidelity, and educational effectiveness of the POPS and POPS + IYS interventions, as delivered by paraprofessionals and educators within Extension and Head Start. The education objective is to provide Extension and Head Start staff non-formal training and educational curricula which can be widely disseminated. The long-term goal of this project is disseminate a novel and effective approach to obesity prevention in preschoolers.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Prevention
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 2 Years to 6 Years (Child)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •child is enrolled in Head Start
Exclusion Criteria
- •Significant developmental disabilities that would preclude participation
- •Child is a foster child
- •Parent is non-English speaking
Arms & Interventions
Usual Head Start Exposure
Children will attend their usual Head Start classroom and receive the usual educational interventions provided in that classroom.
Parents of Preschoolers Series (POPS)
Children attend Head Start preschool. Within the classroom, they receive a series of lessons about nutrition and obesity prevention delivered by an Extension Educator in collaboration with the classroom teacher. Parents are invited to attend a series of classes about nutrition and obesity prevention.
Intervention: Parents of Preschoolers Series (Behavioral)
POPS + Incredible Years Series (IYS)
Children attend Head Start preschool. Within the classroom, they receive a series of lessons about nutrition and obesity prevention delivered by an Extension Educator in collaboration with the classroom teacher. Parents are invited to attend a series of classes about nutrition and obesity prevention. In the classroom, children also receive a series of lessons about emotional and behavioral self-regulation delivered by a trained mental health specialist. The parents also are invited to classes about child behavioral and emotional self-regulation delivered by a mental health specialist.
Intervention: Parents of Preschoolers Series (Behavioral)
POPS + Incredible Years Series (IYS)
Children attend Head Start preschool. Within the classroom, they receive a series of lessons about nutrition and obesity prevention delivered by an Extension Educator in collaboration with the classroom teacher. Parents are invited to attend a series of classes about nutrition and obesity prevention. In the classroom, children also receive a series of lessons about emotional and behavioral self-regulation delivered by a trained mental health specialist. The parents also are invited to classes about child behavioral and emotional self-regulation delivered by a mental health specialist.
Intervention: Incredible Years Series (Behavioral)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Change in Body Mass Index Z-score
Time Frame: 9 months
Child BMI z-score was calculated from measure height and weight at enrollment and at the end of the study period
Secondary Outcomes
- Change in Teacher-reported Self-regulation as Measured by the General Adaptation T-score From the Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation Scale(9 months)
Investigators
Julie Lumeng
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
University of Michigan