Buen Provecho!: A Virtual Family-Based Intervention to Promote Health

The purpose of this pilot study is to compare the effectiveness of an expanded virtual educational program at modifying knowledge, self-efficacy, and behaviors when compared to traditional in-office counseling for guardians of children who are obese or overweight.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Childhood Obesity; Health Behavior; Diet, Healthy
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Virtual Family-Based Healthy Plate Club

Detailed Description

Rationale: Obesity rates are significantly higher among Hispanic youth in the United States, disproportionately putting these children at an increased risk for obesity-related diseases such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, and impaired glucose tolerance. While virtual programming offers an innovative option for pediatric weight management, limited data exists on the efficacy of virtual interventions for this population and their guardians (parents / caregivers).

Objectives: The purpose of this pilot study is to compare the effectiveness of an expanded virtual educational program (expanded -Inova Healthy Plate Club, x-IHPC) at modifying knowledge, self-efficacy, and behaviors when compared to traditional in-office counseling for guardians of children who are obese or overweight.

Study Design: In order to test the effectiveness of the x-IHPC intervention, outcomes from participants in this pilot study will be compared with outcomes from a comparison group of similar participants who receive standard nutrition counseling during their regularly scheduled check-ups. The team will enroll 25 children in the x-IHPC intervention and the same number in the comparison group (n=50). Both groups will receive standard in-office counseling, but the intervention group will also receive the x-IHPC.

Study Methodology: The comparison group receives standard, in-office counseling at visits 1, 3-months and 6-months. The intervention group receives standard in-office counseling at the same intervals, and also participates in a 12-week x-IHPC developed by a dietician curriculum specialist. In addition, a key pillar of this study is identifying and training Community Health Workers (CHWs) to be Spanish-speaking facilitators of the x-IHPC and utilizing community engagement strategies. Training these CHWs and including them in designing the x-IHPC curriculum, will ensure that the programming is culturally appropriate; includes local features that relate directly to the community's needs; and enables study facilitators to respond effectively to the questions and learning needs of the parents and children involved in the program.

Statistical Methodology:

To examine the research question, a longitudinal analysis using generalized estimating equations (GEE) will be conducted to assess if mean differences exist on dietary measures, screen time, sleep quality, physical activity and guardian self-efficacy and confidence between the intervention and comparison groups while accounting for the correlation among the repeated measurements and controlling for covariates.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 42
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Virginia
    • Leesburg, Virginia, United States, 20176
      • HealthWorks for Northern Virginia

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Inclusion criteria include:

1. Child is clients at community clinic
2. Child between the ages 6-12 years
3. Child has a BMI percentage greater than 85%
4. Primary parent or guardian is > 18 years of age
5. Family identifies as Hispanic and Spanish is one of the primary languages spoken in the home
6. Children will be living with the primary guardian or parent for the duration of the program
7. Access to the internet
8. Parent or guardian is willing to commit to engaging in the 12 week program

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Family plans to change location within the year
2. During initial screening for the study, the study PI determines that the intervention may exacerbate existing medical conditions of the child or the family.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Intervention; 12 week virtual family-based health eating program	Behavioral: Virtual Family-Based Healthy Plate Club; IHPC provides produce boxes, nutrition and meal-preparation, education, and supportive counseling to address barriers related to obtaining produce and food. The intervention provides participants with a bi-weekly produce box for 12 weeks and helps families identify sustainable ways to obtain vegetables once the produce boxes end. The CHW will support families by coaching them on how to prepare these unfamiliar vegetables, give tips on finding sales at grocery stores, as well as by navigation to food assistance sites including food pantries. Parents will learn strategies to increase vegetable consumption by addressing perceived barriers - such as the child doesn't like vegetables. Curriculum will also include topics such as how to increase physical activity and reduce screen time.
No Intervention: Comparison; Standard in-office counseling about diet

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Count of Participants Who Consumed Vegetables With Their Dinner Meal More Than 5 Days Per Week	Days per week child ate vegetables with dinner meal, post intervention Measured with a food frequency questionnaire, question: "Think about all the foods your child ate at your dinner/supper meal and snacks in the past week. On how many days did your child eat vegetables for the dinner meal?" Answer options: 1, Never | 2, 1-3 days | 3, 1-2 days | 4, 3-4 days | 5, 5-6 days | 6, Every day (Higher score indicates increased vegetable consumption)	3 months post-study intervention
Count of Guardians Who Reported Being Confident or Very Confident That They Could Increase the Number of Vegetables the Child Eats Each Week	Guardians who reported being Confident or Very Confident that they could increase the number of vegetables the child eats each week As measured by guardian self-efficacy and confidence questions related to modifiable lifestyle behaviors on a likert scale Question: How confident do you feel that you can increase the number of vegetables your child eats each week? Likert Scale: 1, Not confident = It is impossible for me to do this | 2, Somewhat confident = Maybe I can do this | 3, Confident = I think I can do this | 4, Very confident = I can absolutely do this (Higher score indicates better outcome than lower score on Likert scale)	3 months post-study intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
BMI	BMI	3 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Inova Health Care Services

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 17, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): January 31, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): January 31, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 10, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 10, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): June 15, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 8, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 3, 2024
• Last Verified: July 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Overnutrition; Nutrition Disorders; Overweight; Body Weight; Obesity; Pediatric Obesity
• Other Study ID Numbers: U21-12-4630

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No