Family-Based Nutrition Intervention to Prevent Overweight and Obesity in School-Age Children.

Claudia Teresa Tovar Palacio40 enrolled

Overview

This proposal aims to enhance the well being of schoolchildren and their families through a mobile application and multidisciplinary intervention model grounded in authoritative parenting principles and social cognitive theory.

Childhood is recognized as a critical period of metabolic sensitivity, during which excess adiposity increases the likelihood of developing metabolic abnormalities in adulthood by approximately 70%, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, hyperuricemia, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. In Mexico, overweight and obesity affect 35.5% of school-aged children, inevitably contributing to the growing prevalence of non-communicable chronic diseases. Data from ENSANUT 2018 place Sonora among the five states with the highest rates of obesity, with 22.2% of adolescents aged 12-19 years classified as obese. This epidemiological context highlights the pressing need for innovative strategies to promote prevention and early risk detection during childhood. Evidence indicates that mobile health (mHealth) applications may effectively reduce body weight and prevent fat accumulation. Nevertheless, only a limited number of studies have applied mHealth interventions to prevent pediatric adiposity or to foster behavioral changes in comparison with conventional nutritional approaches. The proposed model incorporates a communication strategy designed to monitor participant needs, offer engagement incentives, and promote adherence to the study protocol. The primary research question addresses whether a family-focused intervention can effectively improve eating patterns and food-related behaviors among students enrolled at "La Caridad" Educational Center in Nacozari de García, Sonora.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Overweight and/or Obesity Children - Malnutrition Preventing Malnutrition

Interventions

School BDEVICE

Nutritional therapy supported by a mobile application.

ControlOTHER

Conventional nutritional treatment.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 5 YearsMax age: 9 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Families of children between 5 and 9 years old. * Children without any medical or nutritional treatment for obesity. * Children classified as normal weight, overweight, or obese based on WHO (Z-score: height for age and BMI for age). * Offspring of mothers aged between 18 and 45 years at delivery. * Term infants from normoevolutive pregnancies without maternal comorbidities. * Families who have a cell phone with internet access and an installed camera. Exclusion Criteria: * Children who are currently suffering from a pathology that requires medication or special treatment * Mothers/Fathers/Guardians who are currently suffering from a pathology that requires medication or special treatment. * Children who have a physical/mental impairment to perform physical activities. * Children from surrogate mothers who have presented at least 2 of the 11 DSM-5 criteria for substance use disorder (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, or other illegal drugs) before or during the participating child's gestation. * Children from multiple pregnancies. * Parents who do not own a smartphone compatible with the app will be excluded from this study (i.e., version 5.0 or higher for Android).

Locations (1)

"El globo" and "Servicios de Salud Lomas Altas"

México, Sonora, Mexico

RECRUITING

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Dietary behavior

The Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ) will be administered. The responses will be scored and interpreted using standardized scales, yielding two main dimensions: overeating-related behaviors (where higher scores indicate increased risk of obesity) and undereating-related behaviors (where higher scores suggest risk of underweight or feeding difficulties). Each dimension is further divided into four subscales, allowing for a more detailed characterization of eating behavior patterns.

Time frame: Six months

Body index mass

Measured in Kg/m2

Time frame: Six months

Age

Years lived reported by parents through medical records

Time frame: Six months

Feeding practices

Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire (CFPQ). The CFPQ evaluates parental feeding behaviors across two primary domains, each comprising six subscales. The first domain encompasses health-promoting feeding practices (e.g., modeling, monitoring), while the second includes negative or problematic feeding practices (e.g., use of food as a reward, restrictive practices). Higher scores in health-promoting practices are positively associated with healthier dietary patterns in children. In contrast, higher scores in negative practices are linked to an increased risk of pediatric obesity and disordered eating behaviors.

Time frame: Six months

Body weight

The total body weight (kg) observed in the intervention group versus the control group.

Time frame: Six months

Phisical activity

This questionnaire assesses children's average physical activity (expressed in MET-minutes per week) and sedentary time (in hours/day) across weekdays

Time frame: Six months

Central Contacts

Claudia Tovar-Palacio, Ph.D.

CONTACT

+52 5585341831 claudia.tovarp@incmnsz.mx

Berenice Palacios-Gonzalez, Ph.D.

CONTACT

5553501900 bpalacios@inmegen.gob.mx

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Family-Based Nutrition Intervention to Prevent Overweight and Obesity in School-Age Children.

Overview

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

Locations (1)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Central Contacts

Secondary Outcomes