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Summer Harvest Adventure: A Garden-based Obesity Prevention Program for Children Residing in Low-resource Communities

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Childhood Obesity
Interventions
Behavioral: Summer Harvest Adventure
Behavioral: My Summer Plate (MSP)
Registration Number
NCT05367674
Lead Sponsor
Ohio State University
Brief Summary

The objective of this study is to implement and test the efficacy of the "Summer Harvest Adventure," a comprehensive garden-based behavioral, social, and environmental intervention for children (ages 8-11 years) residing in low-resource communities.

Detailed Description

The investigators will conduct a 2-arm randomized controlled trial designed to determine the efficacy of a multifaceted obesity prevention and lifestyle intervention in low-resource children and parent/adult caregiver (PAC) called "Summer Harvest Adventure." A total of 240 children (ages 8-11 years) will be randomized to the garden-based intervention (SHA) or an enhanced control group (MSP). Summer Harvest Adventure includes: 1) remote and group coaching using a focused motivational interviewing approach; 2) weekly fruit, vegetable, and herb harvesting to increase summer food access; and 3) group education for children and their families in a social setting. Assessments for both groups will be collected at orientation held one week prior to the intervention (week 0), and immediately following the completion of the intervention (week 10) by trained personnel that are blinded to participants' treatment arm assignment.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
200
Inclusion Criteria
  • Children 8-11 years of age (as of June 1) from assenting and consenting families
  • English-speaking families that agree to participate; 3) residents of SNAP-eligible communities in Franklin County, Ohio.
Exclusion Criteria
  • Inability to functionally participate in harvesting; accommodations can be implemented in the future for children with special needs
  • Communication difficulties (e.g. severe developmental delay)
  • Lack of transportation to weekly classes or harvesting activities
  • Non-English speakers; because coaching and classroom-based education are all conducted in English, we will of necessity restrict to English-speakers only during this phase

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Summer Harvest Adventure (SHA)Summer Harvest AdventureRemote nutrition counseling, weekly produce harvesting, group nutrition education
My Summer Plate (MSP)My Summer Plate (MSP)Nutrition education packet
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Produce intakeBaseline and 10 weeks

Change in fruit and vegetable intake as assessed by dermal skin carotenoid scores using Ramon Spectroscopy (Pharmanex NuSkin Biophotonic Scanner model S3)

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
WeightBaseline and 10 weeks

Change in weight will be recorded with a precision of 0.1 kilogram

HeightBaseline and 10 weeks

Change in standing height will be measured to the nearest 1 mm using a standardized fixed stadiometer with a vertical backboard and moveable headboard

Family engagementBaseline and 10 weeks

Change in family engagement as assessed by the Expressed Emotion Adjective Checklist

Blood PressureBaseline and 10 weeks

Change in blood pressure will be measured using non-invasive brachial blood pressure assessment using oscillometric technology (automated devices) to obtain BP readings

BMI percentileBaseline and 10 weeks

BMI will be calculated using weight (kg) divided by the square of height (m). BMI-for-age percentile growth charts will be used to measure the size and growth patterns of children in the study

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

The Ohio State University

🇺🇸

Columbus, Ohio, United States

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