Increased Monitoring of Physical Activity and Calories With Technology
Condition: Weight Change, Body; Behavior, Health; Obesity, Childhood; Parent-Child Relations
MeSH terms: Pediatric Obesity; Body Weight Changes
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Since severe obesity in youth has been steadily increasing. Specialized pediatric obesity
      clinics provide programs to aid in reducing obesity. Since the home environment and parental
      behavioral modeling are two of the strongest predictors of child weight loss during
      behavioral weight loss interventions, a family-based treatment approach is best. This
      strategy has been moderately successful in our existing, evidence-based pediatric weight
      management program, Brenner Families In Training (Brenner FIT). However, since programs such
      as Brenner Families in Training rely on face-to-face interactions and delivery, they are
      sometimes by the time constraints experienced by families. Therefore, the purpose of this
      study is to develop and pilot a tailored, mobile health component to potentially increase the
      benefits seen by Brenner FIT standard program components and similar pediatric weight
      management programs.
    

Detailed description: 
      For this project, we will randomize 80 youth with obesity (13 - 18yrs) and a caregiver
      (dyads) to the Brenner Families in Training (FIT) group or the Brenner Families in Training
      Mobile (mFIT) group. All youth participants will receive a commercially available activity
      monitor. Caregivers will receive podcasts with a story about a caregiver supporting weight
      loss in a child by providing healthy foods/activities for his/her family, including healthy
      eating and physical activity information. Children will receive animated videos that contain
      healthy eating and physical activity messaging, with an engaging story of a child losing
      weight. All participants will have access to a website and mobile apps where they will track
      weight, diet, and physical activity for themselves (youth) or their child (parents). Based on
      their reports of weight, eating, and physical activity, the messaging received from clinical
      staff by the families will be individually tailored to promote healthy behaviors and overcome
      perceived barriers. The proposed research is innovative in that it explicitly incorporates
      theory into the intervention and evaluation components of the project and builds upon an
      existing literature on mobile health interventions that use mobile technology.
    

Intervention name(s): Brenner mFIT (standard care); Brenner mFIT (standard care plus mobile health components)
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Families attend an orientation, in which they are then scheduled for an initial introductory 2-hour intake group session and cooking class; these occur within 2-4 weeks of the orientation. Monthly 1-hour long visits with the dietitian, counselor, and PA specialist are held for 6 months, in which the child and caregiver see the pediatrician. During the 6 months of treatment, they attend 4 group classes, choosing from topics such as meal planning, PA, and parenting. Specialized visits with the PA specialist or dietician are scheduled as pertinent issues arise. Motivational interviewing, modified by Brenner FIT for use with families, is the key to treatment; family counselors are trained in cognitive behavioral therapy, parenting support/mindfulness, and employ these approaches to assist families in developing healthy habits.; Brenner mFIT includes all components of the standard Brenner FIT program in addition to six mobile health components.
The six mHealth components that will be used in addition to standard Brenner Families in Training program include-
a mobile-enabled website,
diet and physical activity tracking apps and physical activity tracker
tailored self-monitoring feedback
caregiver podcasts
animated videos for adolescent patients
social support via social media.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: The control group will receive standard Brenner FIT care. The intervention group will receive standard Brenner FIT care in additional to mobile health components in the hopes of maximizing the benefits that are already seen with pediatric weight management programs like Brenner FIT.
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: weight management; pediatric weight management; mHealth; mobile technology; parent/child relations; dyad