Effects of the Healthy Children, Healthy Families, Healthy Communities Program for Obesity Prevention among Vulnerable Children: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

Jina Choo, Hwa-Mi Yang, Sae-Young Jae, Hye-Jin Kim, Jihyun You and Juneyoung Lee
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Jina Choo: Department of Community Health Nursing, College of Nursing, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
Hwa-Mi Yang: Department of Community Health Nursing, College of Nursing, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
Sae-Young Jae: Department of Sport Science, University of Seoul, Seoul 02504, Korea
Hye-Jin Kim: Department of Community Health Nursing, College of Nursing, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
Jihyun You: Department of Community Health Nursing, College of Nursing, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
Juneyoung Lee: Department of Biostatistics, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 8, 1-16

Abstract: Background : We aimed to examine whether the Healthy Children, Healthy Families, and Healthy Communities Program, consisting of multi-level strategies for obesity prevention tailoring the context of socioeconomically vulnerable children based on an ecological perspective, would be effective on improving their healthy lifestyle behaviors and obesity status. Methods : Participants were 104 children (and 59 parents) enrolled in public welfare systems in Seoul, South Korea. Based on a cluster-randomized controlled trial (no. ISRCTN11347525), eight centers were randomly assigned to intervention (four centers, 49 children, 27 parents) versus control groups (four centers, 55 children, 32 parents). Multi-level interventions of child-, parent-, and center-level strategies were conducted for 12 weeks. Children’s healthy lifestyle behaviors and obesity status were assessed as daily recommended levels and body mass index ≥85th percentile, respectively. Parents’ parenting behaviors were measured by the Family Nutrition and Physical Activity scale. Results : Compared to the control group, the intervention group showed significant improvements in total composite scores of healthy-lifestyle behaviors—including 60-min of moderate physical activity—but not in obesity status among children. Moreover, the intervention group showed significant improvements in parenting behaviors among parents. Conclusion : The multi-level strategies for obesity prevention based on an ecological perspective may be effective for promoting healthy lifestyles among socioeconomically vulnerable children.

Keywords: healthy lifestyle; childhood obesity; parenting; vulnerable populations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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