Parenting Program for Childhood Obesity

Overseen By Olivia de Jongh, PhD

Age: < 18

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of British Columbia

Disqualifiers: Pediatric weight management, Nutritional program, Severe dietary restrictions, Severe physical limitations

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

Approved in 1 Jurisdiction This treatment is already approved in other countries

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 10

Duration: 8 weeks

118 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

Early childhood is an important period where the family can support the development and maintenance of healthy eating and active behaviors to prevent or reduce childhood obesity. With this ultimate goal, we designed the Good Start Matters - Parenting program, which aims to engage families in positive parenting practices that support healthy child behaviors, and aim to evaluate the efficacy of this intervention with a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT). The Good Start Matters - Parenting program is a 2-month mobile-Health (mHealth) parenting intervention which promote positive parenting (primary outcome) and support children's healthy nutrition, physical activity, and decrease screen-time (secondary outcomes).

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 Good Start Matters - Parenting intervention for childhood obesity?

Research shows that parent-centered programs, like the Group Lifestyle Triple P, can help reduce children's weight and improve parents' confidence in managing their children's health. These programs have been effective in reducing child BMI (a measure of body fat based on height and weight) and improving parenting practices, suggesting that similar parenting interventions could be beneficial for childhood obesity. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is the Parenting Program for Childhood Obesity safe for humans?

The available research on parenting programs for childhood obesity, including those that involve parents in promoting healthy habits, suggests they are generally safe. These programs focus on improving diet and physical activity, which are safe and beneficial for children. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

What makes the Good Start Matters - Parenting intervention unique for treating childhood obesity?

The Good Start Matters - Parenting intervention is unique because it focuses on involving parents in shaping children's health-related behaviors, which is shown to have stronger effects in preventing childhood obesity. Unlike other treatments, it emphasizes general parenting practices and parent-child interactions, which are crucial in promoting healthy dietary habits and physical activity. ^{2 6 7 9 11}

Research Team

Louise Masse, PhD

Principal Investigator

University Of British Columbia & BC Children's Hospital Research Institute

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for parents who are the primary caregivers of children aged 2.5 to 5 years, attending a childcare center involved in the study. Parents must speak English fluently and have access to a smartphone for communication and app use. Families already in weight management or nutritional programs, or those with children having severe physical limitations or dietary restrictions, cannot participate.

Inclusion Criteria

My child is between 2.5 and 5 years old and attends a childcare center.

Parents must be the primary caregiver/legal guardian of an eligible child OR share childrearing responsibilities with an already enrolled primary caregiver/legal guardian of an eligible child

Parents must be fluent in English

Exclusion Criteria

My child can follow general nutritional guidelines for their age.

Parents and children currently participating in a pediatric weight management program or in a nutritional program are not eligible

My child cannot follow typical movement guidelines due to severe physical limitations.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive the Good Start Matters - Parenting intervention via a mobile app for 2 months

8 weeks

App-based intervention, no in-person visits

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in parenting practices and child health behaviors after intervention

2 weeks

Assessment at 10 weeks post-intervention

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Good Start Matters - Parenting intervention

Trial Overview The 'Good Start Matters - Parenting' program is being tested over two months using mobile health technology to improve parenting practices that support healthy child behaviors such as nutrition, physical activity levels, and reduced screen time.

Participant Groups

Group I: Good Start Matters Parenting intervention Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The intervention group will receive immediate access to the app where the Good Start Matters - Parenting intervention will be delivered over a 2-months period.

Group II: Control Active Control 1 Intervention

The control group will not receive access to the intervention until they complete the follow-up measures (after 10 weeks).

Good Start Matters - Parenting intervention is already approved in Canada for the following indications:

Approved in Canada as Good Start Matters - Parenting Program for:

• Prevention of childhood obesity
• Promotion of healthy eating and active behaviors in children

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of British Columbia

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,506

Recruited

2,528,000+

Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research

Collaborator

Trials

20

Recruited

6,100+

BC Children's Hospital Research Institute

Collaborator

Trials

14

Recruited

2,800+

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

Collaborator

Trials

1,417

Recruited

26,550,000+

Findings from Research

The 'Parents as Agents of Change' (PAC) intervention was developed using Intervention Mapping principles, focusing on a 16-session program for parents of children aged 8-12 with obesity, addressing individual, family, and environmental factors.

The intervention was successfully implemented in a multidisciplinary weight management center, demonstrating a structured approach to developing evidence-based strategies for managing pediatric obesity.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Using Intervention Mapping to develop the Parents as Agents of Change (PAC&#169;) intervention for managing pediatric obesity. Ball, GD., Mushquash, AR., Keaschuk, RA., et al.[2022]

A new parenting questionnaire was validated in a study of 558 participants, revealing two key dimensions of parenting: setting limits for children and regulating emotions during interactions, both linked to effective feeding practices.

In a 12-month obesity treatment trial with 174 children, while mothers improved their limit-setting skills, and fathers enhanced their emotional regulation, these changes did not lead to significant improvements in child weight status, indicating that parenting practices alone may not directly influence treatment outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Parenting and childhood obesity: Validation of a new questionnaire and evaluation of treatment effects during the preschool years. Somaraki, M., Ek, A., Eli, K., et al.[2021]

In a pilot study involving 50 families with overweight children, a parent-led cognitive behavioral intervention resulted in a significant decrease in adjusted BMI over 6 months, while the control group showed no significant change until they received the intervention.

Both groups of children demonstrated a 7% decrease in adjusted BMI at the one-year follow-up, contrasting with an increase in BMI in a reference group, indicating the potential effectiveness of parental involvement in improving children's weight and eating behaviors.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Training parents of overweight children in parenting skills: a 12-month evaluation. Moens, E., Braet, C.[2022]

The Group Lifestyle Triple P program significantly reduced child BMI z scores and weight-related problem behaviors in a study involving 101 families over 12 weeks.

Parents reported increased confidence in managing their children's weight-related behaviors and reduced use of inconsistent or coercive parenting practices, with these benefits maintained at a one-year follow-up.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Randomised clinical trial of a family-based lifestyle intervention for childhood obesity involving parents as the exclusive agents of change. West, F., Sanders, MR., Cleghorn, GJ., et al.[2022]

A patient-centered decision tool was developed to help address childhood obesity by identifying common goals between parents and healthcare providers, based on qualitative interviews with 44 parents and focus groups with 81 participants.

The tool, which includes a modified growth chart and sections for discussing patient-centered goals, was found to be acceptable and potentially useful, highlighting the importance of engaging families in obesity interventions for Latino children.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Developing a patient-centered outcome for targeting early childhood obesity across multiple stakeholders. Foster, BA., Winkler, P., Weinstein, K., et al.[2022]

A literature review of seven studies found that interventions focusing on general parenting can lead to small to moderate improvements in weight-related outcomes for children, highlighting the importance of parenting in addressing childhood obesity.

The review suggests that promoting authoritative parenting styles, combined with lifestyle changes like physical activity and nutrition, is an effective strategy for preventing and managing childhood obesity.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Interventions addressing general parenting to prevent or treat childhood obesity. Gerards, SM., Sleddens, EF., Dagnelie, PC., et al.[2011]

The Healthy School Start Plus intervention, involving 352 six-year-old children across 17 schools, aims to prevent obesity by promoting healthy eating and physical activity through parental involvement and support from teachers and school nurses.

This 6-month program is based on Social Cognitive Theory and includes health information for parents, motivational interviewing, classroom activities, and a web-based diabetes risk self-test, with the expectation that it will be more effective than standard care in improving children's dietary habits and physical activity.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Healthy School Start Plus for prevention of childhood overweight and obesity in disadvantaged areas through parental support in the school setting - study protocol for a parallel group cluster randomised trial. Elinder, LS., Patterson, E., Nyberg, G., et al.[2019]

The Healthy Start intervention, lasting 15 months, successfully increased the total time spent on sports and outdoor activities among normal weight but obesity-prone preschool children, with the intervention group averaging 400 minutes per week compared to 321 minutes in the control group.

While the intervention improved overall physical activity levels, it did not show significant effects on specific categories like sports participation or screen time, indicating that while the program was effective in increasing general activity, it may need refinement to target specific behaviors.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of the Healthy Start randomized intervention trial on physical activity among normal weight preschool children predisposed to overweight and obesity. Händel, MN., Larsen, SC., Rohde, JF., et al.[2018]

A workplace-based parenting program, Parents Working Together (PWT), was found to be feasible and well-received, with high attendance rates (89% attending 5 or more sessions) and positive feedback from participants, including a notable engagement of fathers (55.6%).

While the program showed promise in changing weight-related behaviors among children and parents, the results were not statistically significant, indicating the need for a larger trial to fully assess its effectiveness.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Parents Working Together: development and feasibility trial of a workplace-based program for parents that incorporates general parenting and health behaviour messages. Wilson, L., Lero, D., Smofsky, A., et al.[2018]

A family-based intervention program targeting both parents and children resulted in significant long-term reductions in BMI-standard deviation score (BMI-SDS) after 2 years, indicating its effectiveness in addressing childhood obesity.

While both intervention groups (parents-only and parents-and-child) showed short-term improvements in BMI-SDS after 3 months, only the parents-and-child group maintained significant reductions at the 2-year follow-up, suggesting that involving children in the intervention may enhance its efficacy.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Intervention for childhood obesity based on parents only or parents and child compared with follow-up alone. Yackobovitch-Gavan, M., Wolf Linhard, D., Nagelberg, N., et al.[2019]

Head Start programs recognize the importance of communicating children's weight status to families, but there are inconsistencies in the methods and information shared across different programs, highlighting a need for standardized communication practices.

Interviews with health and nutrition managers revealed challenges in engaging families in obesity prevention efforts, suggesting that while community partnerships exist, they may not be fully utilized to support these initiatives.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Communicating With Head Start Families About Children's Weight Status: A Phenomenological Approach. Shefet, D., Miller, ME., Nicely, S., et al.[2023]

References

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

Using Intervention Mapping to develop the Parents as Agents of Change (PAC&#169;) intervention for managing pediatric obesity. [2022]

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

Parenting and childhood obesity: Validation of a new questionnaire and evaluation of treatment effects during the preschool years. [2021]

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

Training parents of overweight children in parenting skills: a 12-month evaluation. [2022]

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

Randomised clinical trial of a family-based lifestyle intervention for childhood obesity involving parents as the exclusive agents of change. [2022]

5. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Developing a patient-centered outcome for targeting early childhood obesity across multiple stakeholders. [2022]

6. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Interventions addressing general parenting to prevent or treat childhood obesity. [2011]

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

A Healthy School Start Plus for prevention of childhood overweight and obesity in disadvantaged areas through parental support in the school setting - study protocol for a parallel group cluster randomised trial. [2019]

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

Effects of the Healthy Start randomized intervention trial on physical activity among normal weight preschool children predisposed to overweight and obesity. [2018]

9. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Parents Working Together: development and feasibility trial of a workplace-based program for parents that incorporates general parenting and health behaviour messages. [2018]

10. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Intervention for childhood obesity based on parents only or parents and child compared with follow-up alone. [2019]

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

Communicating With Head Start Families About Children's Weight Status: A Phenomenological Approach. [2023]