HomeStyles-2 Program for Childhood Obesity
(HomeStyles-2 Trial)
Trial Summary
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.
What data supports the effectiveness of the HomeStyles-2 treatment for childhood obesity?
The HomeStyles program, which is similar to HomeStyles-2, has shown to improve family meal and diet-related behaviors, increase physical activity, reduce screen time, and boost parents' confidence in promoting healthy habits in preschool children. These positive changes suggest that HomeStyles-2 may also help families with children in middle childhood adopt healthier lifestyles.12345
Is the HomeStyles-2 Program for Childhood Obesity safe for humans?
The available research on the HomeStyles and HomeStyles-2 programs focuses on promoting healthy home environments and improving lifestyle behaviors, with no reported safety concerns for participants. These programs have been used in families with children to encourage better nutrition and physical activity habits.12356
How is the HomeStyles-2 treatment for childhood obesity different from other treatments?
HomeStyles-2 is unique because it focuses on reshaping the home environment and family lifestyle to support healthy eating and physical activity, rather than just targeting the child alone. It aims to improve the quality of life for the whole family, making it a holistic approach to preventing childhood obesity.12357
What is the purpose of this trial?
Parents are children's primary role models, are food and physical activity gatekeepers, and create the structure/lifestyle environment within the home. Thus, parents strongly influence children's weight-related behaviors and have the opportunity to cultivate a "culture of health" within the home. Yet, there continues to be a dearth of evidence-based obesity prevention intervention programs, especially for families with children aged 6 to 11 years, commonly called the middle childhood years. The aim of the HomeStyles-2 online learning mode RCT is to determine whether this novel, age-appropriate, family intervention enables and motivates parents to shape their home environments and weight-related lifestyle practices (i.e., diet, exercise, sleep) to be more supportive of optimal health and reduced risk of obesity in their middle childhood youth more than those in the control condition. The RCT will include the experimental group and an attention control group who will engage in a bona fide concurrent treatment different in subject matter but equal in nonspecific treatment effects. The participants will be families with school-age children who are systematically randomly assigned by computer to study condition. The HomeStyles intervention is predicated on the social cognitive theory and a social ecological framework. The RCT will collect sociodemographic characteristics of the participant, child, and partner/spouse; child and parent health status; parent weight-related cognitions; weight-related behaviors of the parent and child; and weight-related characteristics of the home environment. Enrollment for this study will begin mid-2021.This paper describes these aspects of the HomeStyles-2 intervention: rationale; sample eligibility criteria and recruitment; study design; experimental group intervention theoretical and philosophical underpinnings, structure, content, and development process; attention control intervention; survey instrument development and components; outcome measures; and planned analyses.
Research Team
Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, PhD
Principal Investigator
Rutgers Universitiy
Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for parents aged 24-50 in the U.S. with a child aged 6-11, who make most family food choices and have regular internet access. They must be able to read English/Spanish. It's not for those outside this group.Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
Treatment
Participants receive weekly intervention materials for 8 weeks, focusing on shaping home environments and weight-related lifestyle practices.
Post-intervention Assessment
Participants complete a post-intervention survey to assess the effects of the intervention.
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for longer-term intervention effects through a follow-up survey.
Treatment Details
Interventions
- HomeStyles-2: Obesity Prevention Program for Families with Children in Middle Childhood
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Lead Sponsor
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Collaborator