Development and Evaluation of a Culturally Adapted Web-based Parental Role Modeling Program for Obesity Management in Vietnamese Primary-school Children
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Sponsor
- Enrollment
- 60
- Locations
- 1
Study Overview
Brief Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether an online family health education program can help Vietnamese children aged 7-9 years with overweight or obesity develop healthier habits.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Does the program improve parents' confidence, role modeling behaviors, family communication, and healthy family practices?
- Does the program improve children's eating habits, physical activity, screen time, and body measurements related to overweight and obesity?
Researchers will compare the online family health education program with standard health education materials to see whether the program leads to greater improvements in children and their families.
Participants will:
- Complete surveys about their family's health habits and daily routines.
- Attend health checkups that include measurements of height, weight, and waist size.
- Receive either the online family health education program or standard health education materials.
- Complete follow-up assessments after the program and four months later.
The results of this study may help identify effective ways to support families in managing childhood overweight and obesity in Vietnam.
Detailed Description
Childhood overweight and obesity have become increasingly prevalent in Vietnam and represent an important public health challenge. Children aged 7-9 years are at a developmental stage in which lifestyle habits, including dietary patterns, physical activity, and screen-related behaviors, are becoming established. At the same time, children remain strongly influenced by parental guidance and behavioral modeling. Parents therefore represent a key target for interventions designed to improve obesity-related behaviors and health outcomes among school-age children.
This study was conducted to develop and preliminarily evaluate a culturally adapted web-based parental role modeling program for parents of Vietnamese children aged 7-9 years with overweight or obesity. The intervention was designed to strengthen parental capacity to support healthy lifestyle behaviors within the family environment through education, behavioral practice, and ongoing digital support. The program was guided primarily by Social Cognitive Theory, which emphasizes observational learning, role modeling, reinforcement, and self-efficacy as mechanisms of behavior change. Bowen's concept of differentiation of self was incorporated into selected intervention activities to support parental emotional regulation, effective communication, consistent rule-setting, and maintenance of healthy family routines.
The study was conducted in two phases.
- Phase 1: Development of the Web-Based Parental Role Modeling Program
The intervention was developed using the ADDIE instructional design framework, consisting of Analysis, Design, and Development phases.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Non Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to — (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- •Parents of children aged 7-9 years with a BMI-for-age z-score ≥ +1 standard deviation (SD) according to the World Health Organization growth reference.
- •Willingness to participate in a web-based program, including attending online workshops and completing behavioral tasks and assessment.
- •Availability of the internet and digital devices necessary to engage in the web-based program.
- •Parents who were responsible for the child's daily health-related routines, including meals, physical activity, and screen-time management.
Exclusion Criteria
- •Children with chronic medical conditions, physical disabilities, or developmental disorders that significantly affect dietary or physical activity behaviors or growth.
- •Parents who are unable to commit to the study timeline or program schedule.
- •Families already participating in another obesity-related program.
Arms & Interventions
Standard Health Education Materials
Parents in this group received standard printed health education materials about healthy eating, physical activity, screen-time reduction, and healthy lifestyle practices for children with overweight or obesity. They did not receive access to the web-based program during the study period.
Intervention: Standard health education materials (Behavioral)
Web-Based Parental Role Modeling Program
Parents in this group received the web-based parental role modeling program in addition to usual school health information. The program was delivered through a Learning Management System and was designed to help parents support healthy eating, physical activity, reduced screen time, and healthy family routines for children with overweight or obesity.
Intervention: Web-based parental role modeling program (Behavioral)
Investigators
Do Thi Thu Huyen
Principal investigator
Chungnam National University