This is a trial assessing the efficacy of two weight maintenance programs for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and the patients' caregivers. Patients and their caregivers will be randomized 1:1 to Arm A, a non-intensive educational intervention using National Institute of Health (NIH) Educational Resources (We Can! for children 8-13 and Take Charge of Your Health for teenagers 14-18), or Arm B, a Modified Guided Self-Help Family Intervention for Leukemia patients (mL-GSH). Outcomes will be assessed through activity trackers, obesity biometrics, and nutrition and physical activity assessments.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
80
Patients and their caregivers will be led through mL-GSH in six sessions over the course of 6-9 months. Content is informed by priorities of caregivers and survivors of pediatric leukemia. The curriculum relies on participants identifying habits to monitor independently and supplementing their engagement with additional materials.
Patients and their caregivers will be provided education materials from the NIH. The educational resources are We Can! a National Institute of Health educational resource designed for parents, caregivers, and communities to help children ages 8 through 13 improve their health and Take Charge of Your Health which is designed to provide education to teenagers to improve their health
Patients will be provided with a FitBit Ace. FitBit Ace will be worn by patients to track physical activity.
All caregivers will be provided access to WashU Extended Learning Canvas. The WashU Extended Learning Canvas will have an online support group for caregivers to engage in with other caregivers in the trial.
Washington University School of Medicine
St Louis, Missouri, United States
Weight Z score
Participant's weight Z score is a statistical value that indicates how the participant's weight for their age and sex compares to the average weight for that population which is obtained from Center for Disease Control (CDC) growth Charts
Time frame: Enrollment, during intervention (4 months after enrollment), end of intervention (6 months after enrollment (may be up to 9 months)), and 6 months after end of intervention (estimated total time frame of 12-15 months)
Changes in weight Z score
Participant's weight Z score is a statistical value that indicates how the participant's weight for their age and sex compares to the average weight for that population which is obtained from CDC growth Charts. Changes in weight Z score from start to end of the study will be analyzed by changes in summary statistics (mean, median, and standard deviation) across timepoints.
Time frame: From start of study through end of study (estimated total time frame 12-15 months)
BMI Z Score
Participant's BMI Z score is a statistical value that indicates how the participant's BMI for their age and sex compares to the average BMI for that population which is obtained from CDC growth Charts
Time frame: Enrollment, during intervention (4 months after enrollment), end of intervention (6 months after enrollment (may be up to 9 months)), and 6 months after end of intervention (estimated total time frame of 12-15 months)
Changes in BMI Z Score
Participant's BMI Z score is a statistical value that indicates how the participant's BMI for their age and sex compares to the average BMI for that population which is obtained from CDC growth Charts. Changes in BMI Z score from start to end of the study will be analyzed by changes summary statistics (mean, median, and standard deviation) across timepoints.
Time frame: From start of study through end of study (estimated total time frame 12-15 months)
Changes in Cholesterol
Changes in cholesterol (total, LDL, and HDL levels) will be analyzed via summary statistics (means, medians, and standard deviation) at each of the endpoints.
Time frame: Enrollment, during intervention (4 months after enrollment), end of intervention (6 months after enrollment (may be up to 9 months)), and 6 months after end of intervention (estimated total time frame of 12-15 months)
Changes in HbA1c
Changes in HbA1c will be analyzed via summary statistics (means, medians, and standard deviation) at each of the endpoints.
Time frame: Enrollment, during intervention (4 months after enrollment), end of intervention (6 months after enrollment (may be up to 9 months)), and 6 months after end of intervention (estimated total time frame of 12-15 months)
Changes in Albumin
Changes in albumin will be analyzed via summary statistics (means, medians, and standard deviation) at each of the endpoints.
Time frame: Enrollment, during intervention (4 months after enrollment), end of intervention (6 months after enrollment (may be up to 9 months)), and 6 months after end of intervention (estimated total time frame of 12-15 months)
Changes in activity intensity assessed by Fitbit Ace Smartwatch using the Freedson age-adjusted equation
The Freedson age-adjusted equation is used to estimate maximum heart rate based on age and then is used to classify activity intensity by the heart rate of the activity.
Time frame: Enrollment, during intervention (4 months after enrollment), end of intervention (6 months after enrollment (may be up to 9 months)), and 6 months after end of intervention (estimated total time frame of 12-15 months)
Changes in activity levels as measured by PAQ-C assessments
Activity levels will be assessed by participants' changes in scores across different timepoints on Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C). The PAQ-C is a self-administered, 7 day recall questionnaire designed to assess physical activity of children by proving a summary score of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The mean PAQ-C score is interpreted as follows: 1.0-1.9 low physical activity, 2.0-2.9 moderate-low activity, 3.0-3.9 moderate activity, and 4.0-5.0 high activity. A higher score indicates a higher activity level.
Time frame: Enrollment, during intervention (4 months after enrollment), end of intervention (6 months after enrollment (may be up to 9 months)), and 6 months after end of intervention (estimated total time frame of 12-15 months)
Changes in activity levels as measured by PAQ-A assessments
Activity levels will be assessed by participants' changes in scores across different timepoints on Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A). The PAQ-A is a self-administered, 7 day recall questionnaire designed to assess physical activity of adolescents by proving a summary score of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The mean PAQ-A score is interpreted as follows: 1.0-1.9 low physical activity, 2.0-2.9 moderate-low activity, 3.0-3.9 moderate activity, and 4.0-5.0 high activity. A higher score indicates a higher activity level.
Time frame: Enrollment, during intervention (4 months after enrollment), end of intervention (6 months after enrollment (may be up to 9 months)), and 6 months after end of intervention (estimated total time frame of 12-15 months)
Changes in health behaviors as measured by the Health Behaviors Survey
The health behaviors survey assesses average daily activity level, screen time, sweetened beverage consumption, and fruit and vegetables consumption to determine if patients are compliant with American Academy of Pediatrics Recommendation. 44% of childhood cancer survivors are active more than 60 minutes a day, 40% engage in less than 1 hour of screen time, 34% consume sweetened beverages and 4% consume more than one serving of fruits and vegetables.
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Time frame: Enrollment, during intervention (4 months after enrollment), end of intervention (6 months after enrollment (may be up to 9 months)), and 6 months after end of intervention (estimated total time frame of 12-15 months)
Changes in 24-hour dietary recall as measured by ASA24
Patient and caregiver feeding habits will be assessed by their responses to a 24 hour dietary recall through the Automated Self-Administered 24-hour Dietary Assessment Tool (ASA24). ASA24 is a web-based, automated dietary recall tool that uses images and prompts. The ASA24 produces automated nutrient and food group data on participant's diet, a Respondent Nutrition Report (RNR). The RNR data will be used to generate a Healthy Eating Index score ranging from 0-100 with higher scores indicating closer alignment to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Between group differences between Arm A and Arm B will be compared via various statistical methods.
Time frame: Enrollment, during intervention (4 months after enrollment), end of intervention (6 months after enrollment (may be up to 9 months)), and 6 months after end of intervention. Estimated total time frame of 12-15 months.
Changes in health behaviors as measured by Childhood Feeding Questionnaire
Changes in health behaviors will be assessed by caregivers' responses to the Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ and CFQ-teen) across different timepoints. The Child Feeding Questionnaire is a 31-item questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale to assesses parents/caregivers' beliefs, attitudes, and practices surrounding feeding and their perceptions of their child's weight and eating behavior. The CFQ includes seven subscales. Subscales are scored from 1-5 with general guidelines for interpreting subscale scores as follows: 1.0-1.9 very low use of that feeding practice/low perception, 2.0-2.9 below average/mild expression, 3.0-3.9 moderate/typical parental level, and 4.0-5.0 high use or strong perception/belief.
Time frame: Enrollment, during intervention (4 months after enrollment), end of intervention (6 months after enrollment (may be up to 9 months)), and 6 months after end of intervention (estimated total time frame of 12-15 months)
Changes in Health Habits Survey
Changes in answers to the Health Habits Survey will be assessed by caregivers and patients' responses to the survey at different timepoints. The Health Habits Survey is an assessment consisting of four questions evaluating health behaviors using 4-point Likert scales. These behaviors include daily activity level (not very often, \<30 min a day, 30-60 min a day, and ≥ 60 min a day), screen time ( ≥2 hr a day, 1-2 hr a day, 30-60 min a day, and not very often), sweetened beverage consumption ( ≥3 a day, two a day, one a day, and not very often), and fruit and vegetable consumption (0-1, 1-2, 3-4, or \>4 times a day.). The investigators will consider percentage of children whose health habits align with American Academy of Pediatric recommendations - 5 fruits and vegetables per day, 2 hours or less of screen time, 1 hour of physical activity, 0 sweetened beverages consumed.
Time frame: Enrollment, during intervention (4 months after enrollment), end of intervention (6 months after enrollment (may be up to 9 months)), and 6 months after end of intervention (estimated total time frame of 12-15 months)