Parent-targeted Mobile Phone Based Intervention to Increase Physical Activity in Children (P-Mobile)

This study is designed to determine if parents can deliver an intervention that will help increase physical activity in their children. The parents will be given the intervention through their mobile phones.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Physical Activity
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Intervention: limited behavioral strategies; Behavioral: Intervention: advanced behavioral strategies

Detailed Description

Most children engage in insufficient amounts of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. These low levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity are associated with adverse health consequences including increased risk for obesity, and cardiovascular and diabetes risk factors. Therefore, there is a need for studies that can increase physical activity levels in children. Mobile phones are a way to deliver behavioral interventions. Mobile phones are portable, allow for real-time data collection, and can potentially reach large numbers of people. Text messages can also be utilized to promote behavior change. Few mobile phone based interventions have specifically targeted child physical activity.

The aims of this pilot study were to determine the feasibility and efficacy of a physical activity promotion program targeting 6-10 year old children that is delivered to parents through mobile phones.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 27
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Louisiana
    • Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States, 70808
      • Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 6 years to 10 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Parent must own a mobile phone.
• Parent must use the text (SMS)messaging service on their mobile phone.
• Parent can access the internet on their mobile phone.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Child is 6 through 10 years old.
• Child does not engage in regular physical activity.
• Chile is physically capable of exercising.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Mobile phone intervention: minimal; Intervention: limited behavioral strategies	Behavioral: Intervention: limited behavioral strategies; Parents are given access to a website, formatted for a mobile phone. The website provides parents with a target steps/day goal for their child and parents are instructed to use their mobile phone to access the study website to record their child's step count each night. Parents are also sent monthly healthy nutrition tips via text message targeting the child in order to provide these families with potentially health promoting information.
Experimental: Mobile phone intervention: intensive; Intervention: advanced behavioral strategies	Behavioral: Intervention: advanced behavioral strategies; Parents are given access to a website, formatted for a mobile phone. The website provides parents with a target steps/day goal for their child and parents are instructed to use their mobile phone to access the study website to record their child's step count each night. Parents also receive additional behavioral strategies based on the Social Cognitive Theory. The strategies are delivered through weekly articles posted on the website. Text messages are designed to prompt parents to encourage their child's physical activity, remind parents of behavioral concepts presented in the articles (article tip), and motivate parents to foster behavioral change in their child.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Step counts	Physical activity will be measured by utilizing pedometers.	3 Months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Waist circumference, body mass index, blood pressure	Physical measurements will be assessed by waist circumference, body mass index, height, weight, percent body fat, and blood pressure. Questionnaires will assess mood and physical activity enjoyment.	3 Months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Pennington Biomedical Research Center
• Collaborators: The Coca-Cola Company
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Robert L. Newton, Jr., PhD, Pennington Biomedical Research Center; Principal Investigator: Timothy Church, MD,MPH,PhD, Pennington Biomedial Research Center

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Newton RL Jr, Marker AM, Allen HR, Machtmes R, Han H, Johnson WD, Schuna JM Jr, Broyles ST, Tudor-Locke C, Church TS. Parent-targeted mobile phone intervention to increase physical activity in sedentary children: randomized pilot trial. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2014 Nov 10;2(4):e48. doi: 10.2196/mhealth.3420.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: March 1, 2012
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 1, 2013
• Study Completion (Actual): August 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 8, 2012
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 8, 2012
• First Posted (Estimate): March 12, 2012

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): May 3, 2016
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 2, 2016
• Last Verified: May 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: physical activity; Children
• Other Study ID Numbers: PBRC 11022