This pilot randomized controlled trial will test the effectiveness of Eatable Alphabet cards, a child friendly nutrition education tool, on child weight and related behaviors in a clinical sample of 2 to 10-year-old children with overweight/obesity, referred to a pediatric weight management program.
The goal of this research study is to determine whether the use of Eatable Alphabet cards in addition to standard weight management in a primary care setting will increase vegetable consumption. Additional outcomes that will be examined include fruit consumption, child engagement in meal selection and preparation, and clinic follow-up. If the intervention shows a significant effect in the above outcome measures, Eatable Alphabet cards can be implemented as a standard component of obesity management in primary care settings. It is hypothesized that the intervention will increase vegetable consumption, increase child engagement in meal selection and preparation, and increase clinic follow-up. The study design is randomized control trial, in which the control group includes parent-child dyads receiving care as usual in the weight management program, including nutrition education, and the intervention group includes parent-child dyads receiving care as usual in the weight management program plus Eatable Alphabet cards in addition to typical nutrition education. All study participants will be families receiving care at the POWER Kids Weight Management Program at 410 Lakeville Road, with the child between the ages of 2 and 10 who have overweight or obesity. The primary outcome is parent reported frequency of child vegetable consumption. Secondary outcomes include: parent reported frequency of child fruit consumption, parent reported child engagement in meal selection/preparation, follow-up weight management visit attendance, and child anthropometric outcomes.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
160
Eatable Alphabet is a set of kitchen activity cards developed by ChopChop Family, in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics, with funding from the CDC (https://www.chopchopfamily.org/eatable-alphabet/). It includes a series of alphabet cards with family-friendly recipes.
Please see above description of usual care.
Cohen Children's Medical Center
New Hyde Park, New York, United States
Change in parent reported child vegetable consumption (servings/day)
Parents will complete pre and post intervention/usual care survey measures of vegetable consumption.
Time frame: 1 month
Change in parent reported child fruit consumption (servings/day)
Parents will complete pre and post intervention/usual care survey measures of fruit consumption.
Time frame: 1 month
Parent reported child engagement in meal selection/preparation
Parents will complete pre and post intervention/usual care survey measures of child engagement in meal selection/preparation.
Time frame: 1 month
Follow-up weight management visit attendance
We will determine whether the patient returned for scheduled follow-up visit via medical record review.
Time frame: 6 months
Change in child body mass index (BMI) z-score
Weight and height measured by clinical staff at the baseline visit and all subsequent visits over the next six months will be used to calculate body mass index (BMI=kg/m\^2). Software will use Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reference standards to convert BMI into a BMI z-score based on the child's age and sex. Change in BMI z-score will be defined as BMI z-score 6 months (+/- 3 months) after the intervention visit minus BMI z-score at the baseline intervention visit.
Time frame: 6 months
Change in weight for age (WFA) z-score
Weight measured by clinical staff at the baseline visit and all subsequent visits over the next six months will be used to generate weight for age (WFA) z-scores using CDC reference standards. Change in WFA z-score will be defined as WFA z-score 6 months (+/- 3 months) after the intervention visit minus WFA z-score at the baseline intervention visit.
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Time frame: 6 months
Change in percent of the 95th percentile of BMI for age and sex
Weight and height measured by clinical staff at the baseline visit and all subsequent visits over the next six months will be used to calculate body mass index (BMI=kg/m\^2). Software will use CDC reference standards to convert BMI into a percent of the 95th percentile for the child's age and sex. Change in percent of the 95th percentile will be defined as percent of the 95th percentile 6 months (+/- 3 months) after the intervention visit minus percent of the 95th percentile z-score at the baseline intervention visit.
Time frame: 6 months