A Primary Care Educational Intervention for Families of Overweight Children

Study Overview
=================
Brief Summary
-----------------
The purpose of the research is to find out if an educational booklet is helpful to families with overweight children. The educational booklet contains information for parents about nutritious eating, physical activity, and strategies for healthy living.

Detailed Description
-----------------
The prevalence of overweight among children has at least doubled in the past 25 years. In the year 2004, 18.8% of children ages 6-11 were overweight. Being overweight as a child is clearly associated with adulthood obesity. In addition, complications once prevalent only in adults are now being seen in overweight children and adolescents. These include hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and type II diabetes which are well known risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Obesity is also associated with low self-esteem among some groups of overweight adolescents. Primary care providers are in a unique position to combat this epidemic. However, a recent survey found that only 12% of pediatricians felt highly effective in their ability to treat obesity. Furthermore, physicians reported that low self-efficacy in treating obesity was associated with a lack of patient educational materials. Few written resources for families of overweight children have been tested in the primary care setting. Much of the research on childhood overweight has been conducted in specialty obesity clinics where the resources and patient population may differ from those of primary care offices. Kid STRIDE is an educational booklet designed for parents of overweight children. It includes information about nutrition, physical activity, and strategies for healthy living. It is hypothesized that the booklet will be distributed to and used by parents of children who are overweight or at risk for overweight. This study will analyze parents' perceptions of this booklet in order to improve its potential value. Information obtained from this pilot study will be used to prepare for a future study to determine the effectiveness of this intervention. The purpose of this study is: Aim 1 is to determine the distribution rate and uptake rate of an educational booklet for parents of children between the ages of 8 and 12 who are overweight. Aim 2 is to describe parents' perceptions of the educational booklet. Aim 3 is to assess the impact of the intervention on BMI as measured by change in BMI z-score.

Official Title
-----------------
A Primary Care Educational Intervention for Families of Overweight Children

Conditions
-----------------
Obesity

Intervention / Treatment
-----------------
* Behavioral: Educational booklet


Participation Criteria
=================
Eligibility Criteria
-----------------
Inclusion Criteria: Body mass index greater than or equal to the 95th percentile for age and gender Presenting to pediatrician for a health maintenance visit Exclusion Criteria: Genetic conditions known to predispose to overweight Endocrine conditions associated with overweight Chronic steroid therapy Current enrollment in a professional weight management program

Ages Eligible for Study
-----------------
Minimum Age: 7 Years
Maximum Age: 12 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
-----------------
All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
-----------------
Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
=================
How is the study designed?
-----------------

Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: A<br> | Behavioral: Educational booklet<br>* Parental perception of educational booklet and evaluating any change in child's weight.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
-----------------
Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Describe parents' perceptions of the educational booklet |  | one year | 
| Determine the uptake rate of an educational booklet for parents of overweight children between the ages of 7 and 12 |  | 6 months | 
| Assess the impact of the intervention on BMI as measured by change in BMI z-score |  | 6 months | 

 Terms related to the study
=================
Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
-----------------
Obesity, Overweight