Healthy Habits, Happy Homes: An Intervention to Improve Household Routines for Obesity Prevention
- Conditions
- Obesity
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Home-Based Health CoachingBehavioral: Mailed materials
- Registration Number
- NCT01565161
- Lead Sponsor
- Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
- Brief Summary
While childhood obesity rates may have plateaued in some US population subgroups, such as whites and those of higher socioeconomic status, overall rates of obesity remain high and racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities appear to be widening. Among the most promising approaches for childhood obesity prevention and management are interventions that begin early in life and that support change at the individual and community levels.
The goal of this project is to develop and test an intervention delivered to racial/ethnic minority and low income parents of 2-5 year old children in their homes, designed to promote adoption of household routines and parenting strategies that are preventive of obesity. To achieve this goal, the investigators will work with community health centers in Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville to recruit families to participate in an individual-level randomized controlled trial. The investigators partner community health centers include the Roxbury Comprehensive Community Health Center, Dimock Community Health Centers, and the Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA).
Participants will be randomized to receive either 1) mailed educational materials for the duration of the 6-month program (control), or 2) home-based health coaching visits and phone calls with a health educator, text messages, and educational materials promoting the adoption of household routines and target behaviors (intervention).
The investigators goal is to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the investigators designed intervention (as compared to the control condition) using baseline and post-intervention data. In order to do so, the investigators will assess change from baseline to post-intervention in the investigators key behavioral outcomes of interest, including adoption of three household routines:
1. Regularly eating meals together as a family
2. Obtaining adequate sleep
3. Limiting screen-viewing time
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 117
- Parent with child between 2-5 years old
- Child has a TV in the room where s/he sleeps
- Parent is comfortable reading, writing and having conversations in English or Spanish
- Child was seen for a well-child care visit at one of collaborating community health centers in the last 90 days
- Parent is not 18 years or older
- Family is planning to move from the Boston area in the net 6 months
- Child has a physical/mental health condition which requires chronic care
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Home-Based Health Coaching Home-Based Health Coaching Intervention delivered in the home. Control Arm Mailed materials Mailed educational materials
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Parent and child health behaviors Baseline, 6 months Using parent self-report surveys, we will assess change from baseline to post-intervention in parent and child behaviors related to the following health outcomes:
* TV viewing, including TV in the room where the child sleeps, time spent watching TV, total screen time
* Sleep, including parent and child sleep duration and presence of a calming nighttime routine
* Diet, including eating meals together as a family, lowering intake of fast food, and lowering intake of sugar-sweetened beveragesTV Viewing Time Baseline, 6 months Using two separate measures of Child TV viewing time (parent-report and measured TV time using the TV Allowance device, we will assess change from baseline to post-intervention in the amount of TV the child watches.
Additionally, using parent-report surveys we will assess change from baseline to post-intervention in total screen time as well as observed presence of TV in the room where the child sleeps.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Child height and weight measurements Baseline, 6 months We will assess change in child BMI and BMI z-score from baseline to post-intervention using in-person child height and weight measurements, taken by trained research staff using a standing Schorr board to measure height and an electronic scale to measure weight.
Cognitive stimulation in the home Baseline, 6 months We will assess change from baseline to post-intervention in total score on the STIMQ, a validated instrument that captures the presence of cognitive stimulation in the home. This instrument is administered as an in-person interview with the primary caregiver.
Presence of media devices in the home Baseline, 6 months We will assess the home environment at baseline and post-intervention, using a developed instrument called the Home Environment Media Inventory (HEMI). From this, we will be able to observe change from baseline to follow up in the presence of media devices in the home, as well as basic neighborhood and household characteristics. Media devices measured include: TV, DVD, DVR/Tivo, Cable, and Computer.
Use of mobile technology Baseline We will assess the participant's use of mobile technology at baseline, such as text messaging and downloaded applications, as well as whether participants have had their cell service cut off for any reason.
Trial Locations
- Locations (2)
University of Guelph
🇨🇦Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
🇺🇸Boston, Massachusetts, United States