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Guelph Family Health Study: pilot study of a home-based obesity prevention intervention

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Abstract

Objective

To examine the feasibility and preliminary impact of a home-based obesity prevention intervention among Canadian families.

Methods

Families with children 1.5–5 years of age were randomized to one of three groups: (1) four home visits (HV) with a health educator, emails, and mailed incentives (4HV; n = 17); (2) two HV, emails, and mailed incentives (2HV; n = 14); or (3) general health advice through emails (control; n = 13). Parents randomized to the 2HV and 4HV groups completed post-intervention satisfaction surveys. At baseline and post-intervention, parents reported frequency of family meals and their children’s fruit, vegetable, and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake. We assessed the children’s physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep using accelerometers and their % fat mass using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Differences in outcomes at post-intervention, controlling for baseline, were examined using generalized estimating equations.

Results

Of the 44 families enrolled, 42 (96%) had 6-month outcome data. Satisfaction with the intervention was high; 80% were “very satisfied” and 20% were “satisfied.” At post-intervention, children randomized to the 4HV and 2HV groups had significantly higher fruit intake and children randomized to the 2HV group had significantly lower percentage of fat mass, as compared to the control. No significant intervention effect was found for frequency of family meals, the children’s vegetable or SSB intake, physical activity, sedentary behaviour, or sleep.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that the delivery of a home-based intervention is feasible among Canadian families and may lead to improved diet and weight outcomes among children. A full-scale trial is needed to test the effectiveness of this home-based intervention.

Clinical trials registration number

NCT02223234

Résumé

Objectif

Examiner la faisabilité et l’impact préliminaire d’une intervention de prévention de l’obésité à domicile menée auprès de familles canadiennes.

Méthode

Des familles avec enfants de 1,5 à 5 ans ont été affectées aléatoirement à l’un de trois groupes: (1) 4 visites à domicile (VAD) par un/e éducateur/trice sanitaire, messages par courriel et récompenses par la poste (4VAD; n = 17); (2) 2 VAD, messages par courriel et récompenses par la poste (2VAD; n = 14); ou (3) conseils de santé généraux par courriel (groupe témoin; n = 13). Les parents affectés aux groupes 2VAD et 4VAD ont rempli un questionnaire sur leur satisfaction après l’intervention. Au départ et après l’intervention, les parents ont fait état de la fréquence de leurs repas en famille et de la consommation de fruits, de légumes et de boissons édulcorées au sucre (BÉS) de leurs enfants. Nous avons évalué l’activité physique, le comportement sédentaire et le sommeil des enfants à l’aide d’accéléromètres, et leur pourcentage de masse adipeuse par analyse d’impédance bioélectrique. Les différences des résultats après l’intervention, après avoir apporté des ajustements en fonction des données de départ, ont été examinées à l’aide d’équations d’estimation généralisées.

Résultats

Sur les 44 familles inscrites, 42 (96 %) ont produit des données sur 6 mois. La satisfaction par rapport à l’intervention a été élevée; 80 % des familles étaient « très satisfaites » et 20 % étaient « satisfaites ». Après l’intervention, les enfants affectés aléatoirement aux groupes 4VAD et 2VAD avaient une consommation de fruits significativement plus élevée et les enfants affectés aléatoirement au groupe 2VAD un pourcentage de masse adipeuse significativement inférieur à ceux du groupe témoin. Aucun effet significatif de l’intervention n’a été observé pour ce qui est de la fréquence des repas en famille, ni de la consommation de légumes ou de BÉS, de l’activité physique, du comportement sédentaire ou du sommeil des enfants.

Conclusions

Nos résultats indiquent qu’il est faisable de mener des interventions à domicile auprès des familles canadiennes, et que cela peut améliorer le régime et les problèmes de poids des enfants. Un essai en vraie grandeur est nécessaire pour tester l’efficacité de cette intervention à domicile.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada

    Jess Haines, Sabrina Douglas, Carley O’Kane, Kathryn Walton, Owen Krystia, Andrea C. Buchholz & Paula Brauer

  2. Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada

    Julia A. Mirotta, Rebecca Breau, Elie Chamoun, Angela Annis, Alison M. Duncan, Lori A. Vallis, Lawrence L. Spriet, David M. Mutch & David W. L. Ma

  3. Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada

    Gerarda A. Darlington

  4. Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada

    Emma Allen-Vercoe

  5. Department of Pediatrics and Population Health, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Elsie M. Taveras

  6. Division of General Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Elsie M. Taveras

Authors
  1. Jess Haines
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  2. Sabrina Douglas
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  3. Julia A. Mirotta
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  7. Owen Krystia
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  8. Elie Chamoun
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  9. Angela Annis
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  10. Gerarda A. Darlington
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  11. Andrea C. Buchholz
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  12. Alison M. Duncan
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  13. Lori A. Vallis
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  14. Lawrence L. Spriet
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  15. David M. Mutch
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  16. Paula Brauer
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  17. Emma Allen-Vercoe
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  18. Elsie M. Taveras
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  19. David W. L. Ma
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on behalf of the Guelph Family Health Study

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jess Haines.

Ethics declarations

The study protocol was approved by the University of Guelph Research Ethics Board (REB14AP008 and REB14AP009).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Haines, J., Douglas, S., Mirotta, J.A. et al. Guelph Family Health Study: pilot study of a home-based obesity prevention intervention. Can J Public Health 109, 549–560 (2018). https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-018-0072-3

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