Mobile Apps for Child Nutrition and Wellness

(MAPP Trial)

Overseen By Madeline Brown, MPH

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Pamela Hull

Disqualifiers: No mobile device, No internet access, Others

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 1

1200 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores how two different mobile apps can assist parents of preschool-aged children. The Beanstalk mobile app focuses on improving child and family nutrition and wellness, while the Children Eating Well (CHEW) mobile app encourages parents to read more to their children, aiding in learning and development. Parents or guardians of 2-5-year-olds living in the U.S. who use services at certain community organizations might be a good fit. Participants need a smartphone or tablet and internet access to join. As an unphased trial, this study offers a unique opportunity for parents to contribute to research that could enhance child development and family wellness.

Do I need to stop my current medications to join the trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that these mobile apps are safe for children and families?

Research shows that the Children Eating Well (CHEW) mobile app is designed for families with preschool-aged children to improve nutrition and wellness. Families and health experts collaborated in its creation to ensure ease of use and safety. Apps like CHEW pose no known risks, as they provide information and resources rather than physical treatments.

The CHEW app underwent testing with families in WIC programs, and no negative effects were reported. The app supports healthy eating and lifestyle choices, with safety comparable to other educational tools in health and wellness. Since this trial does not involve drugs or physical treatments, safety concerns remain very low. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Mobile Apps for Child Nutrition and Wellness trial because it explores innovative ways to enhance child nutrition and wellness through digital tools. Unlike traditional methods which rely on direct dietary advice or in-person consultations, the Children Eating Well (CHEW) app offers a convenient, interactive way for parents to improve their preschool children’s nutrition, physical activity, and sleep habits directly from their smartphones. The app's ability to integrate wellness topics into daily routines provides a personalized and engaging approach to healthy living, potentially increasing family participation and adherence compared to standard educational materials. Meanwhile, the Beanstalk mobile app focuses on enhancing child development through increased reading activities, adding a beneficial cognitive element to the children's routine. This trial could reveal how digital platforms can effectively support family wellness and child development in everyday settings.

What evidence suggests that these mobile apps could be effective for child nutrition and wellness?

Research has shown that the Children Eating Well (CHEW) mobile app, available to participants in this trial, can help families improve nutrition and wellness for preschool-aged children. Studies have found that this app is particularly beneficial for families in the WIC program, as it aids in better meal planning and healthy eating habits. The app provides practical tips and resources, making it easier for parents to promote nutritious eating and active lifestyles for their children. Early results suggest that using CHEW leads to healthier eating patterns, an important step in enhancing overall family wellness. ^{1 2 5 6 7}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Pamela C Hull, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Kentucky

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

The MAPP Study is for parents of preschool-aged children. It's designed to help those who want to improve their child's nutrition and wellness, as well as encourage reading habits. Parents must have a smartphone to use the apps.

Inclusion Criteria

Living in United States

Receives services at partner community organization (Organization Sample only)

I am the parent or guardian of a child aged 2-5 years.

Exclusion Criteria

Does not own iOS/Apple or Android mobile device (phone or tablet)

Does not have internet access for the mobile device (data plan on device or in-home WiFi)

Not able to successfully load and access the Intervention Arm or Attention Control Arm mobile app on the mobile device at the time of enrollment

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Parents/guardians use the respective mobile apps for an 8-week intervention period focusing on nutrition and wellness or reading to children.

8 weeks

App usage monitored remotely

Follow-up

Participants complete a Follow Up Survey after the 8-week intervention period to measure primary outcomes.

2 weeks

1 visit (virtual)

Extension

Participants have the option to download and use the other app, with app usage tracked for up to 20 weeks after study enrollment.

20 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Beanstalk mobile app
• Children Eating Well (CHEW) mobile app

Trial Overview

This study tests two mobile apps: one that guides on family nutrition and wellness (CHEW), and another that encourages parents to read to their children (Beanstalk). The goal is to see if these apps can reduce sleep deprivation, obesity, and sedentary lifestyles in kids.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Intervention Arm: Nutrition and wellness app Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The parents/guardians in this study arm will use the Children Eating Well (CHEW) mobile app focused on child and family nutrition and wellness for the first 8 weeks of the study. This app is designed to help parents/guardians of preschool-aged children to improve nutrition, physical activity, sleep, feeding children at mealtimes, and related wellness topics.

Group II: Attention Control Arm: Reading app Active Control 1 Intervention

The parents/guardians this study arm will use the Beanstack mobile app (or the Bookroo app, as an alternative) focused on parents reading to their children for the first 8 weeks of the study. This app may help parents/guardians to read more to their preschool children (and other children), which is good for child learning and development.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Pamela Hull

Lead Sponsor

Trials

2

Recruited

1,600+

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Collaborator

Trials

103

Recruited

287,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

The CHEW smartphone app was beta-tested with 63 mothers of WIC-participating preschool children, showing moderate usage and high usability, particularly for its shopping tools and nutrition education features.

Feedback indicated that while the app was generally well-received, there were barriers to usage among some participants, suggesting the need for enhancements in shopping tools and nutrition content to improve engagement and effectiveness in preventing childhood obesity.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Smartphone App for Families With Preschool-Aged Children in a Public Nutrition Program: Prototype Development and Beta-Testing. Hull, P., Emerson, JS., Quirk, ME., et al.[2021]

A qualitative study involving 40 parents of young children revealed that both fathers and mothers prioritize different content in mHealth apps aimed at improving responsive feeding practices, with fathers focusing on first foods and choking hazards, while mothers prefer topics like breastfeeding and picky eating.

Parents expressed a strong interest in features that allow tracking child growth and setting feeding goals, indicating that personalized and practical tools in mHealth apps could enhance their effectiveness in promoting healthy feeding habits.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

BabyByte: Qualitative Research to Inform the Development of an App to Improve Responsive Feeding Practices in Parents of Infants and Toddlers. Mobley, AR., Jake-Schoffman, DE., Fedele, DA., et al.[2023]

Nutricia Early Life Nutrition has introduced an online baby symptom checker designed to improve communication between healthcare professionals and parents regarding common feeding issues.

This tool aims to help parents better understand their baby's symptoms and facilitate more informed discussions with their healthcare providers.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Baby Symptom Checker. [2019]

The Poshan Didi chatbot was developed to provide personalized nutrition counseling to mothers of children aged 0-12 months, and it was piloted with 110 mothers in Katni district, showing high acceptability and engagement.

Eighty percent of users interacted with the chatbot, and 64% sought further assistance from healthcare workers, indicating that chatbots can effectively enhance communication and access to nutrition information for caregivers.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Using a Responsive Feedback Approach to Develop and Pilot a Counseling Chatbot to Strengthen Child Nutrition in Rural India. Tomar, N., Srikrishnan, S., Lesh, N., et al.[2023]

The development of a user-centered therapy prescription app for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities involved an iterative process that incorporated user feedback, behavior change techniques, and gamified design to enhance engagement.

User testing with children showed high enthusiasm for the app, achieving an average engagement score of 4.5 out of 5, indicating that the app effectively meets the needs of its target audience while promoting adherence to therapy programs.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Intervention Mapping of a Gamified Therapy Prescription App for Children With Disabilities: User-Centered Design Approach. Johnson, RW., White, BK., Gucciardi, DF., et al.[2022]

A review of 370 smartphone apps for child nutrition identified 33 that qualified for analysis, revealing that many lack updated information and do not cite their sources, which raises concerns about the reliability of the guidance provided to parents.

Only a small number of apps offer expert consultations or specific nutrient requirements, indicating a lack of uniform guidelines in the development of these applications, which could affect their effectiveness in supporting child nutrition.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Comprehensive overview of smartphone applications delivering child nutrition information. Srivastava, R., Kushwaha, S., Khanna, P., et al.[2022]

The 'Snackability' app, designed to help youth choose healthy snacks based on USDA guidelines, showed good feasibility and usability in pilot tests with college students, achieving over 50% satisfaction rates.

Feedback from initial users led to significant improvements in the app, including features like a scoring system for snack healthiness and options for tracking consumption, indicating that user input is crucial for app development.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Development and Pilot Testing of the Snackability Smartphone Application to Identify Healthy and Unhealthy Snacks. Prapkree, L., Sadjadi, M., Huffman, F., et al.[2022]

The eNutri app significantly improved diet quality in UK adults over a 12-week period, with an average increase of 3.5 points on the modified Alternative Healthy Eating Index (m-AHEI), compared to a control group following general dietary guidelines.

Participants using the eNutri app reported lasting engagement with healthy eating behaviors, with 64% still following some of the personalized advice months after the intervention ended.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effectiveness of Web-Based Personalized Nutrition Advice for Adults Using the eNutri Web App: Evidence From the EatWellUK Randomized Controlled Trial. Zenun Franco, R., Fallaize, R., Weech, M., et al.[2022]

The app 'See How They Grow' was co-created with input from parents and professionals, and tested over 12 weeks with 208 participants, showing that it helped 72% of users better understand growth charts for their children.

The app was particularly well-received by parents of younger children (under 6 months), indicating its potential effectiveness in supporting early childhood growth monitoring and possibly preventing obesity.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

See How They Grow: Testing the feasibility of a mobile app to support parents' understanding of child growth charts. Humphrey, G., Dobson, R., Parag, V., et al.[2021]

Citations

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