Healthy Together Program Evaluation (Phase 3)

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Healthy Together is a program that promotes the achievement and maintenance of healthy weights in children and their families.

Detailed Description
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The purpose of the Phase 3 scale up project is to expand the reach and impact of Healthy Together (HT), by supporting the integration of the HT program into core services of organizations serving children (up to 18 years) and families, particularly those from under-served populations across diverse communities and settings in Canada. The HT program offers a flexible, effective, integrated approach, relevant to multiple contexts, creating potential to become a sustainable approach to promoting healthier weights in Canadian children. The objectives of the evaluation for Phase 3 are to: Describe the effectiveness of the HT program in relation to knowledge, attitude and behavior change at the individual, family, and community level. Monitor quality and sustainability of HT, when offered as part of core service by organizations to meet diverse community needs and cultural contexts. Create an effective knowledge mobilization framework to increase practice and policy influence of HT, in collaboration with regional, provincial and national networks.

Official Title
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Healthy Weights for Children Project (Phase 3)

Conditions
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Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Overweight and Obesity

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Healthy Together


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Community partner organizations with capacity and infrastructure to implement the HT program are eligible to be implementation sites. Priority is given to community organizations serving Indigenous, immigrants/refugees, low income/low literacy groups, and families residing in rural communities. All sites will be required to integrate HT into their existing services. Inclusion criteria for each participant group are as follows: Families: HT is designed for children (up to 18 years of age) and families. Children and families participating in programs offered by the partner organizations are eligible to attend HT. All interested families will be able to access the program regardless of their previous knowledge or skill level. Participants do not have to be overweight/obese to participate in sessions. HT Facilitators: Staff members who are identified by the partner organizations, trained to implement the HT program and directly involved in HT program delivery will be eligible to participate in the evaluation. Directors of Partner Organizations: Partner organizations will be asked to identify a director (supervisor) that has administrative responsibility for overseeing the delivery of services for children/families that includes the HT program. National Advisory Committee (NAC): Members of the National Advisory Committee established by The Bridge Youth and Family Service Society for Phase 3 of this project. Exclusion Criteria: Family members who have not participated in any of the HT sessions offered as part of on-going services provided by the partner organization.
Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

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
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Interventional Model Description: Participating organizations will deliver the Healthy Together (HT) program to children/youth and their parents/caregivers. Participants in the program will be invited to complete questionnaires to evaluate the program at mid point (after 15 sessions) and post program (after 30 sessions).
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Other: Intervention group<br>Participants will receive the intervention - Healthy Together (HT). | Behavioral: Healthy Together<br>* The Healthy Together (HT) program is designed to reduce overweight and obesity among children and youth in priority populations such as Indigenous, immigrant and refugee, and low income families.The HT program consists of 30 sessions, each of which includes cooking and eating together, physical activity and a learning activity covering topics that promote healthy weights. The HT program is delivered by trained facilitators who are provided with a program manual and resources. Trained facilitators in participating community organizations offer the HT program by integrating it within core programming.<br>* Other names: Healthy Together Children's Health Program;|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Changes in Physical Activity Behaviour | Godin Physical Activity Leisure Time Questionnaire | At mid point in the HT program (i.e., following the first 15 weekly sessions) and at HT program completion (i.e., following the second set of 15 weekly sessions) | 
| Changes in Healthy Eating | Self-reported changes in eating behavior because of participation in the HT program using validated survey questions | At mid point in the HT program (i.e., following the first 15 weekly sessions) and at HT program completion (i.e., following the second set of 15 weekly sessions) | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Knowledge of healthy diet and physical activity behaviors | Self-reported knowledge using validated survey questions | At mid point in the HT program (i.e., following the first 15 weekly sessions) and at HT program completion (i.e., following the second set of 15 weekly sessions) | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Scale-up, Healthy Weights, Health Promotion, Cooking Activity, Family education model, Family Health, Prevention, Childhood Obesity, Physical Activity