Clinical trial NCT00604513: Ready. Set. ACTION! A Theater-Based Obesity Prevention Program for Children
Official title: A Theater-Based Obesity Prevention Program for Children
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Obesity
Lead sponsor: University of Minnesota
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
First posted: 2008-01-30
Enrollment: 181
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 8
Maximum age (years): 12
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: The goal of Ready, Set, ACTION! (RSA) is to test the feasibility of implementing a theater-based after-school program to promote healthy eating, physical activity, and positive body image with children in grades four through six.

Detailed description: The goal of Ready, Set, ACTION! (RSA) is to test the feasibility of implementing a theater-based after-school program to promote healthy eating, physical activity, and positive body image with children in grades four through six. This study, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIDDK), is a collaboration between the University of Minnesota, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, Saint Paul Public Schools, and Illusion Theater of Minneapolis. Four participating Saint Paul schools were randomly assigned to receive either a control or intervention after school program led by artists/educators from Illusion Theater. Students in the intervention schools received a fourteen-session curriculum with eight booster sessions, in which they received the following messages: increase fruit, vegetable, and water consumption, decrease soda pop, increase physical activity, and decrease television. Families received nutrition and activity information packets themed for each session. The messages were reinforced by theater education, dance, and music. A play structured around the aforementioned messages that included scene vignettes, choreographed dance, and professionally composed music was developed and rehearsed by the children. In December 2006 the children performed the play for their families at Illusion Theater in downtown Minneapolis. They later performed for their peers at school and again for family and school administrators at the conclusion of the program.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* 4th-6th grade children at intervention and control schools
* Parent or guardian of participating children

Exclusion Criteria:

* Other ages

Primary outcomes:
measure: Program feasibility
timeFrame: One school year
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Body Mass Index (BMI)
timeFrame: One school-year
measure: Physical activity
timeFrame: One school-year
measure: Quality of dietary intake
timeFrame: One school-year
measure: Self-efficacy to change eating and physical activity behaviors, improved body image, and improved self-esteem
timeFrame: One school-year
measure: Parental support for healthy eating and physical activity
timeFrame: One school-year
Other outcomes:
Locations:
Study officials:
affiliation: Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, University of Minnesota
name: Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, PhD, MPH, RD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: