Childhood Obesity
Conditions
Keywords
Pediatric Obesity, Body Mass Index, Dentistry
Brief summary
Background: Childhood obesity imposes a great burden on the healthcare system. Given the increased frequency of dental compared to medical visits during childhood, dentists may be in an ideal position to recognize patients at risk of developing obesity. This randomized clinical trial explored the efficacy of a brief nutrition and physical activity counseling for healthy weight 6 to11 year-old children in a university-based pediatric dental clinic. Methods: 168 children, 6-11 year old, were allocated to test and control groups and their Body Mass index (BMI) were recorded. Their parents/caregivers completed a questionnaire regarding their child's nutrition, physical activity and screen time. The parents/caregivers of the test group then received a brief counseling session that encouraged an increase in children's physical activity, and a decrease in sugar-sweetened beverages and screen time. Data, collected at baseline and follow-up session (within 6-12 months) were analyzed using general linear regression, adjusting for age, gender, socio-demographic characteristics, education, labour force, income and awareness of school nutrition policy (P≤ 0.05).
Interventions
BEHAVIORALLifestyle counseling or nutrition/physical counselling
A brief (5-10 minute) counseling session for caregivers of the intervention group aimed to encourage an increase in the child's physical activity and decrease sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and screen time. Additionally, the caregivers of the intervention group were provided with the following handouts: five steps to a healthy body weight for teens; beverages; physical activity tips for children 5-11 years; Canadian physical activity guidelines for children 5-11; and Canadian sedentary behavior guidelines for children 5-11.
Sponsors
University of Toronto
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
6 Years to 11 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* healthy * 6 to 11 years old
Exclusion criteria
* Younger or older children * those with systemic diseases (such as diabetes, cardiac problems, dyslipidemia, elevated cholesterol, obstructive sleep apnea, stroke, fatty liver disease, osteoarthritis, orthopedic problems and any forms of cancer) * Children and their accompanying parents or caregivers (hereafter, caregivers) unable to communicate in English * if caregivers were unreachable after three attempts by phone
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Body Mass Index (BMI) | 6-12 months from the baseline |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| physical activity (hrs/day) | 6-12 months |
| screen time (hrs/day) | 6-12 months |
| number of sugar-sweetened beverages consumed per day | 6-12 months |
Outcome results
None listed