An interventional study of Participatory parent-focused intervention and State-sponsored PA program in Obesity, sponsored by Heidelberg University. Completed at 2 sites in Germany. Open to participants aged 3 Years to 6 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2012-08-01.
Sponsored by Heidelberg University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
This study investigates whether a preschool-based physical activity intervention involving parents as active agents of behavioral change affects objectively measured physical activity in preschool children.
In the last 25 years, obesity in children has increased dramatically in Germany (Lampert et al. 2007, Stolzenberg et al., 2007) and other western societies. Lack of physical activity (PA) is one important factor contributing to obesity development. However, healthy behaviors are established early in life (adiposity rebound: Reilly 2008), which underlines the importance of early interventions. Preschools therefore might be an ideal setting for interventions to promote physical activity. While previous preschool interventions were directly aimed at the children's physical activity behaviors (e.g. promoting activity by sports lessons), parents as influential caregivers were mainly involved in educational ways and by information (e.g. newsletters, physical activity homework).
The current intervention takes a participatory approach to involve parents as active agents of behavioral change. The study aim is to evaluate the effects of the participatory preference-based parental intervention on preschoolers' objectively measured physical activity behaviour and Body Mass Index (BMI). The intervention can easily be added as a parent module to existing children-focused physical activity programmes.
In several workshops, parents are presented a set of possible project ideas for improving everyday physical activity in the preschools. After forming teams, they either select project ideas from the preexisting menu or develop ideas de novo and then implement them into the local preschool environment.
The intervention is implemented in the frame of an existing state-sponsored physical activity (PA) program offering twice weekly sports lessons by external gym trainers to preschoolers over a period of 6 months. Preschools in the control arm get the state-sponsored PA program only. Preschools in the intervention arm get the participatory parent-focused PA intervention in addition to the existing state-sponsored PA program.
6,570 studies on the registry are indexed under Obesity; 1,718 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 826 is above the median of 77 across 5,084 interventional studies indexed under Obesity.
Browse Obesity studies →Heidelberg University is the lead sponsor of 287 studies on the registry; 19 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
standard children-focused gym lessons approach
Behavioral: State-sponsored PA program
Participatory parent-focused intervention over nine months in addition to state-sponsored PA program
Behavioral: Participatory parent-focused intervention · Behavioral: State-sponsored PA program
Parent workshops and internet-based support to establish healthy physical activity routines, added to existing state-sponsored PA program
Also known as: "Ene mene fit - Eltern machen mit!"
Preschool children receive twice a week 60 minutes of physical activity lessons over 6 months by an external gym trainer
Also known as: Standard physical activity lessons
Change in physical activity as measured by accelerometry and heart rate
before intervention (0 months), 6 and 12 months later
Time frame: 0,6 and 12 months
Change in Body Mass Index, percent fat mass (based on skin folds), waist-to-height ratio and waist circumference Change in blood pressure, sympathetic/parasympathetic tone. Sleep quantity by accelerometry.
before intervention (0 months), 6 and 12 months later
Time frame: 0, 6 and 12 months
Change in quality of life and subjective wellbeing
before intervention (0 months), 6 and 12 months later
Time frame: 0, 6 and 12 months
The record gives a start of Sep 2008, a primary completion of Sep 2010 and a completion of Apr 2011. It does not say whether these dates are actual or estimated.
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This study is completed, as verified in Jul 2012. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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