MedTrace Logo

USDA Healthy Caregivers/Healthy Children: A Childhood Obesity Prevention Program

NCT01722032 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 1100

Last updated 2012-11-06

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Background: Many unhealthy dietary and physical activity habits that foster the development of obesity are established by the age of five. Presently, approximately 70 percent of children in the United States are currently enrolled in early childcare facilities, making this an ideal setting to implement and evaluate childhood obesity prevention efforts. We describe here the methods for conducting an obesity prevention intervention randomized trial in the child care setting.

Methods/Design: A randomized, controlled obesity prevention trial in 28 low-income, ethnically diverse child care centers located throughout Miami-Dade County, FL is currently being conducted over two years (2010-present) to test the efficacy of an intervention that poises teachers and parents as lifestyle change agents. The Healthy Caregivers-Healthy Children (HC2) program includes a curriculum focusing specifically on healthy food choices, increased exercise, and role modeling. The program targets food policy changes throughout the school, and via the child, caregiver, and teacher. Major outcome measures include child body mass index percentile and z score, fruit and vegetable and other nutritious food intake, and amount of physical activity.

Discussion: Although few attempts have been made to prevent obesity during the first years of life, this period may represent the best opportunity for obesity prevention. Findings from this investigation should inform both the fields of childhood obesity prevention and early childhood research about the effects of an obesity prevention program housed in the childcare setting. (H1) A child care center-based obesity prevention intervention program that includes a teacher and parent nutritional gatekeeper and role modeling program will be more effective in maintaining BMI in 3-5 year olds compared to a control group.

(H2) Role modeling (teacher and parent) will be identified as a significant mediator in preventing obesity among intervention children versus controls.

(H3) A child care center-based multi-level obesity prevention intervention program will improve child nutrition (increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, decreased consumption of sweetened beverages) and increase physical activity level compared to a control group.

Conditions

  • Childhood Obesity

Interventions

OTHER

Childhood Obesity

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of Miami

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Ruby Natale, PhD · University of Miami

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
2 Years
Max Age
5 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2010-06-30
Primary Completion
2012-09-30
Completion
2012-09-30

More Related Trials

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT01722032 on ClinicalTrials.gov