Twelve-Month Efficacy of an Obesity Prevention Program Targeting Hispanic Families With Preschoolers From Low-Income Backgrounds.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE\nAssess effects of an obesity prevention program promoting eating self-regulation and healthy preferences in Hispanic preschool children.\n\n\nDESIGN\nRandomized controlled trial with pretest, posttest, 6- and 12-month assessments. Fourteen waves, each lasting 7 weeks.\n\n\nSETTING\nFamilies recruited from Head Start across 2 sites.\n\n\nPARTICIPANTS\nTwo hundred fifty-five families randomized into prevention (n\u202f=\u202f136) or control (n\u202f=\u202f119).\n\n\nINTERVENTION\nPrevention received curriculum; control received no curriculum.\n\n\nMAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)\nFeeding knowledge/practices/styles (parent); body mass index percentile, eating self-regulation, trying new foods, and fruit/vegetable consumption (child).\n\n\nANALYSIS\nMultilevel analyses for nested data (time points within families; families within waves) and multinomial regression.\n\n\nRESULTS\nProgram increased mothers repeated presentation of new foods (P < 0.05), measured portion sizes (P < 0.05), child involvement in food preparation (P < 0.001), feeding responsiveness (P < 0.001), knowledge of best feeding practices (P < 0.001), and feeding efficacy (P < 0.05); reduced feeding misconceptions (P < 0.01) and uninvolved feeding (P < 0.01). Effects on child eating behavior were minimal. At 12 months, children in the prevention group were less likely to have overweight (P < 0.05) or obesity (P < 0.05).\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS\nProgram effects emphasize the importance of feeding approaches in reducing childhood obesity.