Active minds, happy kids: a family-based online intervention focusing on electronic media use

This project builds on a previously trialled feasibility study, Family@play. That project was a six-week, group-based trial which delivered the program to 20 families with 2-3 year old children. Family@play was effective at decreasing children’s overall electronic media use. Active minds, happy kids will deliver similar content to 80 families with 3-5 year old children. Active minds, happy kids will employ online technologies to deliver content and promote interaction between study participants. This is an eight week intervention with pre- and post-intervention assessments. Participants will be families with a child aged 3-5 years who has not yet started school. Group sessions will take place at the preschools through which families were recruited. The intervention consists of one 90 minute group-based session, 3 x 10-15 min modules online each week for 7 weeks and associated online activities. An intervention using groups with a common affiliation (i.e. their children attend the same preschool) is effective for behavioural intervention delivery. This program is theoretically informed and draws on constructs from the Social Cognitive (SCT) and Family Systems (FST) theories. Content will focus on three primary components: a) non-selectively decreasing electronic media use (budgeting, removing electronic media); b) selectively reducing use (rules, limiting participation); and c) displacing use with other activities (reading, imaginary games). Content for group sessions will include: changing and influencing children’s behaviours; health and developmental implications of electronic media; building motivation and skills to change behaviours (self-monitoring, goal setting); self-efficacy (identify barriers, goal setting); and relapse prevention. Strategies will focus on activities aimed to support children’s social skills and cognitive functioning while encouraging lower levels of electronic media use. Group sessions will also discuss the online activities and will use an anticipatory guidance perspective to facilitate group-based problem solving of possible challenges. Online activities will provide opportunity for within-group peer interaction to facilitate sharing of ideas, experiences and strategies. Strategies to monitor adherence include; attendance at group session, website generated reports of access to web-based materials, monitoring and recording of interactions on Facebook group.