Project HERA (Health, Education, and Relationship-building for Adolescents- Moms and Tots)
Condition: Child Behavior Problems; Parenting Skills; Obesity Prevention
MeSH terms: Obesity; Problem Behavior
Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase 1/Phase 2

Summary: 
      Specific Aims:

        1. The primary aims of this study are to conduct formative interviews with teen mothers to
           inform a targeted adaptation of empirically based weight management and parent training
           programs for teen mothers for their preschoolers.

        2. To conduct a small pilot and post-pilot focus group of the feasibility and acceptability
           of recruitment and retention methods & the intervention.

      Study Hypotheses:

      Given the small sample size and fact that this is a pilot study, focus will be on estimating
      effect sizes rather than statistical hypothesis testing. However, the investigators
      exploratory hypotheses are as follows:

        1. (a) The adapted intervention will be more feasible compared to the wellness control
           condition, with a participant retention rate of ≥80% and an average adherence
           (attendance at weekly treatment sessions; homework completion 5 weekdays weekly) is ≥
           75%; (b) The adapted intervention will be more acceptable compared to the wellness
           control condition, based on the Consumer Satisfaction Scale and Therapy Assessment
           Inventory with ≥90% of the participants responding to the item, "In general how
           satisfied were you with the intervention?" by choosing "unsatisfied" to "very
           satisfied."

        2. (a) The adapted intervention will result in greater improvements in child behavior and
           parent-child connectedness compared to the control condition; (b) the adapted
           intervention versus wellness control condition will result in greater increases in child
           and teen mother individual as well as joint physical activity and physically active play
           and greater reductions in individual and joint teen mother and child sedentary behavior
           (television viewing) from baseline to post-intervention; (c) the greater teen mother and
           child fruit and vegetable consumption; and reduced child juice and sugar-sweetened
           beverage consumption from baseline to post-intervention; (d) the adapted intervention
           versus wellness control condition will result in smaller increases in child BMI
           percentile and teen mother BMI from baseline to post-intervention; (e) participants who
           attend higher numbers of intervention sessions will show greater improvements in target
           outcomes (child behavior, parent-child connectedness, and teen mother and child physical
           activity, sedentary behavior and BMI); with participants receiving the adapted
           intervention versus wellness control showing the greatest dose-based improvements.
    


Intervention name(s): Combined parent training and obesity prevention program; Wellness program (active contact control)
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double (Participant, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: obesity; adolescents, females; child development; weight loss programs; child rearing; parenting