Healthy Environments Study (HEROs)
Condition: Health Behavior; Childhood Obesity
MeSH terms: Obesity; Pediatric Obesity
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Obesity is a multi-dimensional problem that has roots in infancy and tracks into adulthood.
      Obesity is represented disproportionately among children and families from low socioeconomic
      and minority backgrounds, particularly in rural areas that have limited access to food,
      activity, and health-related services. There is a need for culturally-tailored, effective
      interventions that can positively impact the environments (home, preschool, community) in
      which young children grow and develop their eating and activity behaviors. Developing family
      interventions, particularly for families with limited resources, requires improving
      caregivers' health literacy and home food/activity environments, and also requires tailoring
      to accommodate the realities of stressful and unpredictable family settings. The overall
      objective of this proposed HEROs Study (HEalthy EnviROnments Study) is to develop a
      companion, technology-based, interactive family intervention that will promote healthy
      lifestyles for young children in both Head Start and family settings.
    

Detailed description: 
      This intervention study will test the impact of the intervention through a quasi-experimental
      staggered implementation pilot design. The aims will test whether the implementation of a
      parent-child interaction intervention, focusing on eating and activity behaviors, will
      improve children's eating behaviors, motor performance and parent-child interactions in these
      domains. This project seeks to answer the following research questions:

        1. Do children participating in the family-based intervention demonstrate enhanced PA and
           eating behaviors?

             -  Hypothesis 1.1: Children receiving the family-based intervention will have higher
                PA levels and enhanced motor skills compared to children in the control group.

             -  Hypothesis 1.2: Children receiving the family-based intervention will demonstrate
                enhanced eating behaviors compared to children in the control group.

        2. Can the home environment be improved by parents' self-monitoring of food availability
           and electronic devices; and the application of mindful parenting strategies?

             -  Hypothesis 2.1: Evaluation of food items in the home and electronic devices in the
                child's bedroom will demonstrate a more positive home environment of participants
                receiving the family-based HEROs intervention.

             -  Hypothesis 2.2: Parents will report more positive parent-child interactions after
                receiving the family-based HEROs intervention.
    

Intervention name(s): HEROs
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Intervention Description: The intervention will consist of a 6-week family workshop series, held one evening per week for six consecutive weeks. The intervention modules will be delivered by trained researchers at two preschool sites in rural Colorado in Fall 2019 and Spring 2020. The primary caregiver and preschool child will be the targets of the study. Each of the workshops will be structured to include joint caregiver-child activities and programming that is tailored for caregivers and children individually. Caregivers will learn about and engage in activities related to healthy eating and picky eating; physical activity and motor development; and parenting strategies. Children will participate in activities focused on healthful eating and physical activity that supports content their parents are learning.
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: Early Childhood; Mindful Parenting; Family Intervention; Picky Eating; Motor Development; Diet Quality; Physical Activity