Nutrition Education for Childhood Obesity

Overseen By Regina H Lozinski, M.S.

Age: < 18

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Penn State University

Disqualifiers: Severe food allergies, Developmental disability, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

770 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment ECE Food Acceptance Training and related programs for childhood obesity?

Research suggests that early childhood education settings are effective places to deliver healthy eating interventions, which can positively influence children's diets and help establish healthy eating habits early in life. These interventions, including nutrition education and environmental changes, can support better dietary intake, which is important for preventing obesity. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is nutrition education for childhood obesity safe for humans?

The research does not provide specific safety data for nutrition education programs, but these programs generally focus on promoting healthy eating and physical activity, which are considered safe and beneficial for overall health. ^{1 3 5 6 7}

How is the Nutrition Education for Childhood Obesity treatment different from other treatments?

This treatment is unique because it combines multiple strategies like food acceptance training, healthy eating curriculum, and parent education, all delivered in early childhood education settings, which are ideal for reaching many children during a critical developmental period. Unlike other treatments, it focuses on creating a supportive environment and involves both children and their families to promote healthy eating habits. ^{1 2 7 8 9}

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to teach preschool children from low-income families about healthy foods. It uses a program that includes lessons on nutrition for both children and their parents. By exposing children to new foods and educating them, the program hopes to improve their knowledge and acceptance of nutritious foods.

Research Team

Lori A Francis, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

Penn State University; Professor

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for preschool children aged 3 to 5 who are enrolled in participating childcare centers, primarily serving families eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Pennsylvania.

Inclusion Criteria

My child is in preschool at a participating center.

Exclusion Criteria

My child has severe food allergies that restrict their diet.

Presence of a developmental or sensory disability that affects food intake and/or learning

Lack of English fluency in children and caregivers

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Children receive food literacy lessons and, in intervention classrooms, additional healthy eating curriculum. Parents receive web-based lessons on responsive food parenting.

6 months

Weekly lessons

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in food literacy, food acceptance, and other outcomes post-intervention.

6 months

Treatment Details

Interventions

• ECE Food Acceptance Training
• Healthy Eating Curriculum
• Improving the Classroom Food and Mealtime Environment
• Parent Education

Trial Overview The study tests a nutrition education program aimed at improving food literacy and acceptance among preschoolers. It compares outcomes of those with just this program to those also receiving a healthy eating curriculum and parent education.

Participant Groups

Group I: Healthy Bodies Project Plus (HBP+) Experimental Treatment 4 Interventions

Intervention classrooms will receive the Eating the Alphabet curriculum described above for comparison classrooms, in addition to (1) the Healthy Eating curriculum, (2) classroom materials and teacher training designed to improve the classroom food and mealtime environment in ways that increase food acceptance, and (3) parent/caregiver education on responsive food parenting.

Group II: Healthy Bodies Project Comparison (HBP) Active Control 1 Intervention

All classrooms will receive the Eating the Alphabet curriculum, which includes 27 lessons that introduce children to a new fruit or vegetable from A-Z each week. Parents in comparison and intervention classrooms will receive access to web-based parent resources related to the Eating the Alphabet curriculum (e.g., food of the week fact sheets with recipes and suggestions for use, and coloring pages).

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Penn State University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

380

Recruited

131,000+

Findings from Research

Healthy eating interventions in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings may slightly improve children's diet quality and increase fruit consumption, although the evidence is uncertain, based on a review of 52 studies involving over 7,000 children.

These interventions showed little to no effect on children's BMI and consumption of non-core foods and sugar-sweetened beverages, suggesting they may help manage weight and reduce obesity risk, but further research is needed to confirm these findings.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Healthy eating interventions delivered in early childhood education and care settings for improving the diet of children aged six months to six years. Yoong, SL., Lum, M., Wolfenden, L., et al.[2023]

Healthy eating interventions in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings may slightly improve children's diet quality and likely increase fruit consumption, although the evidence is uncertain based on a review of 52 studies involving over 7,000 children.

These interventions showed little to no effect on children's BMI and consumption of less healthy foods, but they may help reduce the risk of overweight and obesity, indicating potential benefits for child health.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Healthy eating interventions delivered in early childhood education and care settings for improving the diet of children aged six months to six years. Yoong, SL., Lum, M., Wolfenden, L., et al.[2023]

A pilot study involving 22 early childhood education centers in New South Wales, Australia, demonstrated that a web-based program combined with health promotion officer support significantly improved the implementation of healthy eating practices, with 4 out of 5 targeted practices showing increased adoption.

The intervention was highly acceptable to participants, with 100% of centers completing data collection and high engagement with the web-based program, suggesting that this approach could effectively support healthy eating policy implementation in early childhood settings.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Feasibility of a Web-Based Implementation Intervention to Improve Child Dietary Intake in Early Childhood Education and Care: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. Barnes, C., Yoong, SL., Nathan, N., et al.[2022]

This systematic review will evaluate the effectiveness of healthy eating interventions in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings, focusing on children up to 6 years old, to improve dietary intake and overall health outcomes.

The review will also assess secondary outcomes such as child growth, cognition, mental health, and cost-effectiveness of the interventions, providing valuable insights for public health policies aimed at improving children's diets.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Early childhood education and care-based healthy eating interventions for improving child diet: a systematic review protocol. Jackson, J., Wolfenden, L., Grady, A., et al.[2021]

Early care and education (ECE) programs play a crucial role in shaping children's nutrition and dietary habits, which can influence their health into adulthood, including risks for diseases like obesity and cardiovascular issues.

The Go NAPSACC initiative provides ECE programs with tools for continuous quality improvement in nutrition education, emphasizing the need for support from nutrition experts and policymakers to enhance children's dietary practices.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Multi-Level Opportunities to Improve Nutrition in Child Care Settings. Ward, DS., Vaughn, AE.[2020]

After participating in a workplace wellness program, 84% of early childhood education (ECE) providers reported increased awareness of healthy eating and physical activity, with 81% stating they consumed more fruits and vegetables and 80% becoming more physically active at work.

The study found that the length of time ECE providers had been teaching positively influenced their agreement that the wellness program improved their health behavior awareness, suggesting that experience in the field may enhance the effectiveness of such programs.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Impact of a Workplace Wellness Program on Provider Health in Early Childhood Education Settings. Powers, JN., Farewell, CV., Maiurro, E., et al.[2020]

A two-year community-based participatory research project in 10 early childhood education centers led to significant improvements in healthy eating and physical activity policies, with 16 nutrition goals and 11 physical activity goals achieved across the centers.

The intervention resulted in a notable increase in physical activity policies (10.0 point increase) compared to nutrition policies (3.3 point increase), highlighting the effectiveness of the program in enhancing physical activity environments for children.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

LiveWell in early childhood: results from a two-year pilot intervention to improve nutrition and physical activity policies, systems and environments among early childhood education programs in South Carolina. Slining, M., Wills, S., Fair, M., et al.[2021]

The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) was successfully integrated into five medical clinics, with physicians generating 686 referrals and 106 parents participating in the 8-week pediatric obesity prevention intervention.

Parents reported significant improvements in their children's behaviors related to sleep, screen time, physical activity, and nutrition, indicating that the intervention was both feasible and beneficial for families.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Feasibility of Colocating a Nutrition Education Program into a Medical Clinic Setting to Facilitate Pediatric Obesity Prevention. Shilts, MK., Diaz Rios, LK., Panarella, KH., et al.[2021]

The modified EFNEP curriculum, which included videos and interactive discussions, led to a significant decrease in BMI for the intervention group, highlighting its effectiveness in obesity prevention among participants.

Both the intervention and control groups showed improvements in dietary habits and psychosocial factors, but only the intervention group experienced a notable reduction in BMI, suggesting that the enhanced curriculum may be particularly beneficial for managing weight.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Creating healthful home food environments: results of a study with participants in the expanded food and nutrition education program. Cullen, KW., Lara Smalling, A., Thompson, D., et al.[2021]

References

1. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Healthy eating interventions delivered in early childhood education and care settings for improving the diet of children aged six months to six years. [2023]

2. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Healthy eating interventions delivered in early childhood education and care settings for improving the diet of children aged six months to six years. [2023]

3. Canada pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Feasibility of a Web-Based Implementation Intervention to Improve Child Dietary Intake in Early Childhood Education and Care: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. [2022]

4. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Early childhood education and care-based healthy eating interventions for improving child diet: a systematic review protocol. [2021]

5. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Multi-Level Opportunities to Improve Nutrition in Child Care Settings. [2020]

6. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Impact of a Workplace Wellness Program on Provider Health in Early Childhood Education Settings. [2020]

7. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

LiveWell in early childhood: results from a two-year pilot intervention to improve nutrition and physical activity policies, systems and environments among early childhood education programs in South Carolina. [2021]

8. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Feasibility of Colocating a Nutrition Education Program into a Medical Clinic Setting to Facilitate Pediatric Obesity Prevention. [2021]

9. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Creating healthful home food environments: results of a study with participants in the expanded food and nutrition education program. [2021]