Scouting Nutrition and Activity Program

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention designed to prevent obesity by improving the environmental characteristics of Girl Scouts troop meetings.

Detailed Description
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Girls and parents affiliated with Girl Scouts Juniors programs completed a questionnaire prior to the beginning of an intervention program, and again after the program. Children responded to previously validated questionnaire items assessing demographics, parent-child connectedness, parent-child physical activity, screen time usage, family meal-time environment, consumption of fruits and vegetables, soda, and fast food. Parents completed a similar questionnaire, assessing demographics, parent-child connectedness, parent-child physical activity, family mealtime environment, parenting style and parenting practices. Children were also assessed on height and weight to characterize their risk for overweight status. Questionnaires and environmental observations were used to assess the effectiveness of an intervention designed to improve the family meal-time environment at home, as well as helping to assess the relationships between parental factors and family health-related behavior.

Official Title
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A Site-Randomized Controlled Trial for Health Promotion in Girl Scouts: Healthier Troops in a SNAP

Conditions
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Obesity

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Scouting Nutrition and Activity Program
* Behavioral: Standard-care attentional control


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Girls had to be attending members of Girl Scouts in one of our included troops. The troop needed to be a registered Girl Scouts Juniors troop, consisting of girls primarily in the 4th and 5th grades. To be officially registered, the troop leaders were required to complete Girl Scout leader training and pass a criminal background check. To be included, the troops also needed to meet at least twice per month, have meeting facilities capable of allowing physical activity and food preparation. Also, troops needed to have initial agreement of leaders and parents for the troop to participate in a research study. Exclusion Criteria: An inability to speak or read English. Troops not primarily composed of Girl Scouts Juniors, not regularly meeting during the study period, or not having leader and parental consensus approval for troop participation.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 8 Years
Maximum Age: 12 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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Female

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Scouting curricular implementation<br>Intervention group will receive a curriculum based on social cognitive theory, wherein children will be taught skills in a supportive environment to improve their self efficacy and proxy efficacy toward eating healthful meals and being physically active with a parent. Troop leaders and parents will provide support, and help girls to create healthy opportunities in the home environment. Simultaneously, girls will be taught skills to improve the family mealtime environment, to bolster asking skills toward healthy behavior, to self-monitor healthy behavior, and to set goals for healthy behavior. | Behavioral: Scouting Nutrition and Activity Program<br>* Intervention group will receive a curriculum based on social cognitive theory, wherein children will be taught skills in a supportive environment to improve their self efficacy and proxy efficacy toward eating healthful meals and being physically active with a parent. Troop leaders and parents will provide support, and help girls to create healthy opportunities in the home environment. Simultaneously, girls will be taught skills to improve the family mealtime environment, to bolster asking skills toward healthy behavior, to self-monitor healthy behavior, and to set goals for healthy behavior.<br>* Other names: SNAP;|
| Active Comparator: Standard-care attentional control<br>Control troops complete usual troop meeting activities. Control troops receive equal observation time, equal pretest and posttest assessment, and equal study scrutiny. | Behavioral: Standard-care attentional control<br>* Control troops complete usual troop meeting activities. Control troops receive equal observation time, equal pretest and posttest assessment, and equal study scrutiny.<br>* Other names: Control;|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Body mass index percentile ranking |  | 5 months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Obesity-related behaviors |  | 5 months | 
| Troop environmental encouragement and opportunities for healthful eating and physical activity |  | continuous | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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obesity prevention, girl scouts, physical activity, family meals, fruits and vegetables, health promotion