Time for Healthy Habits: Evaluating Two Healthy Eating and Active Living Support Programs for Parents of 2-6 Year Old Children

Arm 1: Healthy Habits telephone-based intervention Healthy Habits is a telephone-based intervention consisting of 6 x fortnightly 20-30 minute telephone calls delivered over 3 months by trained telephone interviewers / coaches who have experience in conducting health-related telephone interviews and surveys, but do not have formal qualifications in a health profession. The program was developed by a team of trained health promotion practitioners, dietitians, psychologists and parenting experts, and is based on the family-based model of intervention proposed by Golan, (which draws on socio-ecological theory), focusing on making positive changes in the home environment, parental role-modelling and improving parents’ knowledge and skills in establishing healthy behaviours in their children. The program seeks to improve healthy eating, physical activity and sleep hygiene and reduce sedentary screen time through modifying: i) the availability and accessibility of foods and beverages, (i.e. ensuring fruit and vegetables are present and stored in a ready-to-eat form), physical activity and sedentary behaviour equipment and opportunities in the home; ii) introducing supportive family routines (i.e. eating meals without the television, having a set bedtime) and iii) increasing parental role-modelling of health behaviours. Such factors are associated with obesity-related behaviours in young children. To support behaviour change, the telephone counselling intervention utilises a number of specific behaviour change techniques including barrier identification, goal-setting, self-monitoring, and using prompts or cues. Parents receive print materials (specifically designed for this study), which are used during the telephone contacts and also to facilitate action between calls. Arm 2: Time2bHealthy online intervention Time2bHealthy is an online intervention that consists of 6 modules, each taking approximately 30 minutes for parents to complete and will be delivered over 3 months (i.e. one module every two weeks). The intervention was developed by a multi-disciplinary team of health behaviour and parenting experts and practitioners and is guided by Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory. Like the Healthy Habits telephone-based intervention, the Time2bHealthy online program seeks to improve child healthy eating as well as physical activity and sleep hygiene and reduce child sedentary screen time through targeting characteristics of the home environment, developing supportive routines, and encouraging parental modelling of health behaviours. A backwards intervention mapping process was used to ensure alignment of specific Time2bHealthy intervention activities to the theory, evidence and target behaviours and the selection of appropriate behavioural change strategies to promote parental behaviour change. The intervention incorporates a closed (secret) Facebook group (moderated by a dietitian) which will allow participants the opportunity to communicate with other members of the intervention cohort. While participants are encouraged to use the Facebook group throughout the program, there are no specific requirements about the frequency of access, and participants can access the group as often (or as seldom) as they like. Participants will also receive fortnightly emails providing a summary of the content from the online program and directing participants to visit the online program to review the material and their progress with goals set.