Parents and Children Active Together Study

University of Victoria240 enrolled

Overview

The purpose of this study is to examine physical activity habit formation in parents and if this can increase moderate to vigorous physical activity behavior in their children over six months.The Primary Research Question is: Does the habit formation condition result in increased moderate-vigorous intensity physical activity of the child compared to the control (education) and education + planning conditions at six months? Hypothesis: Child physical activity will be higher for the habit formation condition in comparison to the more standard physical activity education and planning conditions at six months.

Secondary Research Questions 1. Can group differences among behavioural outcomes be explained through a mediation model? Hypothesis: The covariance of the assigned conditions (habit formation, planning + education, education control) on child PA will be explained by parental co-activity habit, and through the use of consistency and cues regulation strategies (i.e., manipulation check). The habit formation condition will not affect parental support intentions or underlying outcome expectations (benefits of PA) for support of child PA because its effect on behavior is to tie initial intentions to behavioural action or to work independent of goals and intentions. 2. Do factors such as quality of life, parental competence, and family functioning improve with increased PA? Hypothesis: Conditions that increase PA will show commensurate increases in these factors. 3. Is there an intergenerational, seasonal, or gender difference across primary outcomes by assigned condition? Hypothesis: Parents in the habit formation condition will show higher PA via the activities being performed with their children in comparison to the other conditions. No differences in gender or season are hypothesized based on the current research at present

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Interventions

Habit formation interventionBEHAVIORAL

In addition to the control content and the planning content, this intervention will include material provided to the family that assists with creating physical activity support habits. The material contains a discussion of what habits are, straightforward examples, planning and pointers for forming habits. A key component of the habit intervention will be planning for context-dependent repetition.

Physical activity planning interventionBEHAVIORAL

This arm will receive the control education content, but will also be provided with family PA planning material. This material will include skill training content (workbook on how to plan for family PA). The material includes a brainstorming exercise for parents where they list physical activities they think their children have found fun in the past, as well as activities that they would find enjoyable to do as a family. We also have Canadian parental survey data on the most preferred co-physical activities for children 3-6. We will provide this material as prompts/suggestions. This list helps create the template for PA planning by contextualizing what the parents would like to do with their kids.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 3 YearsMax age: 5 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Participants will be at least one parent with at least one child between the ages of 3 and 5 years. Families will reside in greater Victoria, British Columbia. Parents can be single parents or co-parents (i.e. we only require one parent and one child to participate). Families will be included if they have at least one parent who will participate and one child between the ages of 3 and 5 who is not meeting current physical activity guidelines (\>=60 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity. There will be no delimitations to the sample based on socio-economic or ethnic variables. Exclusion Criteria: * Exclusion Criteria: If child is meeting the current physical activity guidelines \>=60 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change from baseline in children's physical activity to 6 months

Children's physical activity will be quantified by accelerometry. Children will wear an accelerometer for a minimum of 6 hours per day for 7 days at baseline and 6 months. Additionally this measure will assess intermediate outcomes at 6 weeks and 3 months.

Time frame: Baseline and 6 months

Secondary Outcomes

Change from baseline to 6 months in child physical activity by parent proxy self-report

The parent will complete a modified Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire to report physical activity of the target child to assess habitual moderate to vigorous physical activity at baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months. Questions assess intensity, frequency, and duration of physical activity in an average week. Additionally this measure will assess intermediate outcomes at 6 weeks and 3 months.

Time frame: Baseline and 6 months

Change from baseline in self-reported parental co-activity habit to 6 months

The parent will complete an adapted self-reported habit strength index for co-activity with their child at baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months. Intermediate outcomes will be at 6 weeks and 3 months.

Time frame: Baseline and 6 months

Parents and Children Active Together Study

Overview

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

Locations (1)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes