Childhood Obesity
Conditions
Keywords
preschool children, nutrition intervention, obesity prevention
Brief summary
The Eat Healthy, Grow Healthy (EatGrow) program is a family-based, fully virtual nutrition education intervention designed to improve fruit and vegetable intake among preschool-aged children. Parents and their children participate together in interactive online lessons over eight weeks, including parent-child cooking, taste-testing, and engaging nutrition education. Recruitment was conducted via schools, but schools are not involved in delivering the program. The study measures changes in children's fruit and vegetable intake and willingness to try new foods, as well as parental nutrition literacy, attitudes, and self-efficacy. Weekly tasks are included for engagement.
Detailed description
Childhood obesity is a major public health concern, and increasing fruit and vegetable intake is an effective prevention strategy. The EatGrow study is a family-based, fully virtual intervention targeting preschool-aged children and their parents. Recruitment was conducted via schools; however, schools do not participate in delivering the intervention. The study has three primary aims: Aim 1: Assess changes in parental nutrition literacy, attitudes, and self-efficacy regarding incorporating fruits and vegetables into daily meals. Aim 2: Evaluate the effectiveness of the EatGrow virtual nutrition education intervention in increasing fruit and vegetable intake among preschool-aged children. Aim 3: Determine whether the intervention reduces food neophobia and increases children's willingness to try a variety of fruits and vegetables. The intervention is delivered over eight weeks via interactive online modules. Activities include parent-child cooking, taste-testing, and interactive nutrition education. Weekly engagement tasks are included to encourage participation. Outcomes are measured through parent-completed surveys assessing their child's dietary intake and food preferences, as well as parental nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy. This study aims to provide evidence on the effectiveness of virtual, family-based interventions in promoting healthy eating behaviors and preventing childhood obesity.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALEatGrow Intervention
8-week fully virtual, family-based nutrition education program for parents and preschool-aged children, including parent-child cooking, taste-testing, and interactive nutrition education lessons. Delivered entirely online to promote fruit and vegetable intake and reduce food neophobia.
BEHAVIORALDelayed access
Control group participants receive delayed access to the EatGrow intervention after post-intervention data collection. No nutrition lessons or tasks are provided during the study period.
Sponsors
Texas Woman's University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Masking description
This is an open-label study. No participants, caregivers, investigators, or outcome assessors are masked
Intervention model description
Participants are assigned to one of two groups: the EatGrow intervention group or a delayed control group. The intervention group receives eight weeks of fully virtual, family-based nutrition education including parent-child cooking, taste-testing, and interactive lessons, while the control group has access to the intervention after post-intervention data collection.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 99 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Parent or primary caregiver of a preschool-aged child (3 to 5 years old) enrolled at one of the participating schools. * Responsible for the home food environment, including meal preparation. * Access to a stable internet connection and an internet-enabled device (e.g., "smartphone," tablet, or computer). * Willingness to participate in the full intervention and complete weekly tasks. * Ability and willingness to purchase ingredients for weekly virtual cooking sessions. * Ability to read, speak, and understand English.
Exclusion criteria
* Families unable or unwilling to purchase ingredients for weekly recipes. * Children or parents/caregivers with known allergies to fruits and/or vegetables. * Families without reliable internet access. * Parents/caregivers who are unable to read, speak, or understand English.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Child fruit and vegetable intake | Baseline to 8 weeks (post-intervention) | Measured using parent-completed surveys assessing the frequency and quantity of fruit and vegetable intake among preschool-aged children. |
| Child willingness to try new fruits and vegetables | Baseline to 8 weeks (post-intervention) | Measured using parent-completed surveys assessing food neophobia and willingness to try a variety of fruits and vegetables. |
| Parental nutrition literacy, attitudes, and self-efficacy | Baseline to 8 weeks (post-intervention) | Measured using parent-reported surveys assessing changes in nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and confidence in incorporating fruits and vegetables into daily meals. |
Countries
United States
Contacts
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORKathleen E Davis, PhD, RDN, LD
Texas Woman's University
Outcome results
None listed