Habitual and Neurocognitive Processes in Adolescent Obesity Prevention
Condition: Obesity; Behavioral Intervention; Obesity Prevention; Diet; Adolescents
MeSH terms: Obesity; Pediatric Obesity
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The study tested an intervention that used a cue-removal and implementation intentions based
      strategy to change habitual dietary behaviors. The intervention was evaluated using a
      randomized experimental design that consisted of two conditions including (1) a control
      condition or (2) a cue and implementation intention-based intervention. High schools (N=22)
      were randomly assigned to one of the two conditions. Families (N=187), with a family defined
      as an adolescent and one participating parent, were recruited from within the 22 schools. All
      of the families from each school were assigned to the same condition.

      Families that were eligible for the study and that were interested in participating scheduled
      an appointment to complete informed consent. After written parental consent and youth assent
      was obtained, the participants had their height and weight measured and completed a series of
      questionnaires programmed on laptops. In addition, the adolescent took part in a 24 Hour
      Dietary Recall Assessment. The family was also informed that a second 24 Hour Dietary Recall
      Assessment would be administered to the adolescent over the phone in approximately 3-14 days.

      Families that were from a school assigned to the control condition received an intervention
      on sun safety that consisted of a 10-minute meeting with a trained Health Coach, two generic
      newsletters, an email, and a text message. Families from a school assigned to the cue- and
      implementation intentions condition received an intervention on healthy snacking and the
      reduction of sugar sweetened beverage consumption that consisted of a 90-minute meeting with
      a trained Health Coach, two 20-minute phone calls, four tailored newsletters, and a series of
      emails and text messages. Both of these interventions were delivered over a period of 3-10
      weeks depending on the self-directed pace of the participants. All participants were then
      asked to complete a follow-up assessment appointment three months after their original
      consenting appointment. Our hypotheses focused on dietary behaviors and stated that
      adolescents assigned to the cue-removal and implementation intentions intervention would
      consume significantly fewer daily servings of high fat snacks, high sugar snacks, and sugar
      sweetened beverages than adolescents in the control condition.
    

Detailed description: 
      See above.
    

Intervention name(s): Cue and Implementation Intention-Based Intervention; Control arm
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Families from a school assigned to Cue and Implementation Intention-Based Intervention received an intervention targeting increased levels of healthy snacking and reduced levels of sugar sweetened beverage consumption. The intervention consisted of a 90-minute meeting with a trained Health Coach, two 20-minute phone calls, 4 tailored newsletters, and a series of emails and text messages. Cues for snacking and sweetened beverage consumption were removed or relocated and implementation-intentions were created to trigger alternative behaviors to snacking and sweetened beverage consumption in the presence of cues. Both interventions were delivered over 3-10 weeks depending on the self-directed pace of the participants. All participants completed a follow-up assessment 3 months after consent.; Families that were from a school assigned to Control received an intervention on sun safety that consisted of a 10-minute meeting with a trained Health Coach, 2 generic newsletters, an email, and a text message. Both interventions were delivered over 3-10 weeks depending on the self-directed pace of the participants. All participants completed a follow-up assessment 3 months after consent.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention