Clinical trial NCT00987532: A Participatory Parental Intervention Promoting Physical Activity in Preschools
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Obesity
Physical Activity
Keywords: preschool
participatory intervention
cluster-randomization
children
obesity prevention
Lead sponsor: Universitätsmedizin Mannheim
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Baden-Württemberg Stiftung gGmbH
First posted: 2009-10-01
Enrollment: 1047
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 3
Maximum age (years): 6
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: The aim of this study is to test whether a parent-focused participatory intervention in addition to gym lessons can enhance preschoolers physical activity compared to gym lessons alone.

Detailed description: Over the last 20 years, physical activity (PA) in children has rapidly decreased in both developed and developing nations. More effective interventions to prevent inactivity in childhood thus are urgently needed. The preschool years, including the adiposity rebound period, might represent a good window of opportunity. Study literature suggests that targeting parents is crucial for lasting changes in young childrens' behavior. However, it is not known which methods are effective for involving parents in physical activity promotion. Consistent with experience from community-based participatory research, encouraging parents to participate the intervention in terms of content and structure might lead to higher intervention effectivity and sustainability. In our study, we therefore "enriched" a child-centered physical activity intervention in preschools (twice weekly gym lessons over 6 months) with a parent-focused participatory community intervention component.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* age 3-6 years

Exclusion Criteria:

* severe atopic dermatitis,
* serious acute infectious diseases,
* physical malformations, and
* severe physical disabilities.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Absolute change in mean accelerometry counts over 6 days
timeFrame: baseline, end of intervention, six months after end of intervention
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Body Mass Index
timeFrame: baseline, end of intervention, six months after end of intervention
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Mannheim
country: Germany
facility: Mannheim Institute of Public Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University
state: Baden-Württemberg
Study officials:
affiliation: Mannheim Institute of Public Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University
name: Joachim E. Fischer, MD, M.Sc.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: De Bock F, Genser B, Raat H, Fischer JE, Renz-Polster H. A participatory physical activity intervention in preschools: a cluster randomized controlled trial. Am J Prev Med. 2013 Jul;45(1):64-74. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2013.01.032.
citation: De Bock F, Fischer JE, Hoffmann K, Renz-Polster H. A participatory parent-focused intervention promoting physical activity in preschools: design of a cluster-randomized trial. BMC Public Health. 2010 Jan 31;10:49. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-10-49.