The Families and Schools for Health Project: A Longitudinal Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial Targeting Children with Overweight and Obesity

Topham, Glade L.; Washburn, Isaac J.; Hubbs-Tait, Laura; Kennedy, Tay S.; Rutledge, Julie M.; Page, Melanie C.; Swindle, Taren; Shriver, Lenka H.; Harrist, Amanda W.

doi:10.3390/ijerph18168744

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The Families and Schools for Health Project: A Longitudinal Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial Targeting Children with Overweight and Obesity

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Department of Applied Human Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA

Department of Human Development & Family Science, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA

Department of Nutritional Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA

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School of Human Ecology, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA 71272, USA

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Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA

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Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA

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Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27412, USA

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Academic Editors: Sze Lin (Serene) Yoong, Nicole Nathan and Rebecca Golley

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(16), 8744; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168744

Received: 17 June 2021 / Revised: 10 August 2021 / Accepted: 12 August 2021 / Published: 19 August 2021

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Promoting Nutrition and Physical Activity in Education and Care Settings)

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Abstract

This cluster randomized controlled trial aimed at overweight and obese children compared three treatments. Two psychoeducation interventions for parents and children were conducted: Family Lifestyle (FL) focused on food and physical activity; Family Dynamics (FD) added parenting and healthy emotion management. A third Peer Group (PG) intervention taught social acceptance to children. Crossing interventions yielded four conditions: FL, FL + PG, FL + FD, and FL + FD + PG—compared with the control. Longitudinal BMI data were collected to determine if family- and peer-based psychosocial components enhanced the Family Lifestyle approach. Participants were 1st graders with BMI%ile >75 (n = 538: 278 boys, 260 girls). Schools were randomly assigned to condition after stratifying for community size and percent American Indian. Anthropometric data were collected pre- and post-intervention in 1st grade and annually through 4th grade. Using a two-level random intercept growth model, intervention status predicted differences in growth in BMI or BMI-M% over three years. Children with obesity who received the FL + FD + PG intervention had lower BMI gains compared to controls for both raw BMI (B = −0.05) and BMI-M% (B = −2.36). Interventions to simultaneously improve parent, child, and peer-group behaviors related to physical and socioemotional health offer promise for long-term positive impact on child obesity. View Full-Text

Keywords: child obesity; child overweight; randomized controlled trial; intervention; family; school

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Topham, G.L.; Washburn, I.J.; Hubbs-Tait, L.; Kennedy, T.S.; Rutledge, J.M.; Page, M.C.; Swindle, T.; Shriver, L.H.; Harrist, A.W. The Families and Schools for Health Project: A Longitudinal Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial Targeting Children with Overweight and Obesity. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 8744. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168744

AMA Style

Topham GL, Washburn IJ, Hubbs-Tait L, Kennedy TS, Rutledge JM, Page MC, Swindle T, Shriver LH, Harrist AW. The Families and Schools for Health Project: A Longitudinal Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial Targeting Children with Overweight and Obesity. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(16):8744. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168744

Chicago/Turabian Style

Topham, Glade L., Isaac J. Washburn, Laura Hubbs-Tait, Tay S. Kennedy, Julie M. Rutledge, Melanie C. Page, Taren Swindle, Lenka H. Shriver, and Amanda W. Harrist. 2021. "The Families and Schools for Health Project: A Longitudinal Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial Targeting Children with Overweight and Obesity" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 16: 8744. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168744

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