Home Weight Management Program Benefits Children and Parents

Obese children are four times more likely to become obese adults, making childhood obesity a major threat to health. A new study in the Journal of Nutritional Education and Behavior have discovered that the relationship development program that includes the values ​​of diet and exercise (DRIVE) has helped to reduce weight gain in children at risk and push their parents to lose weight.

"Parents are usually the most important and influential people in the environment of a child," said authors Keely Hawkins, Ph.D., and Corby K. Martin, Ph.D. , Pennington Biomedical Research Center, University of Louisiana State, Baton Rouge, LA, USA. "Adding this weight management strategy to existing national and federal home visiting programs could help address the current childhood obesity crisis."

Sixteen families participated in the study and were recruited into the community based on the risk of childhood obesity. Children aged 2 to 6 years with a body mbad index above the 75th percentile enrolled. Families were randomly badigned to receive only health information or DRIVE intervention.

The DRIVE program was presented in 15 sessions in person at the family's home. The sessions lasted 30 minutes, during which parents and children practiced healthy daily habits, including regular snacks and meals, reducing screen time and encouraging active play. Each session was devoted to a single health topic, such as portion size, food preparation, how to discuss weight and growth issues with the pediatrician, and effective parenting strategies. The group who did not receive home visits received mailed information on nutrition, physical activity and parent-child interactions at the start of the study.

Children who participated in the DRIVE intervention maintained their weight with a slight reduction in body mbad index over the 19 weeks of the study, while children with health education increased significantly their weight and their body mbad index. In addition, parents who participated in DRIVE sessions also reduced their body weight.

The study also revealed that the 16 families had completed the program. This level of participation is much higher than the programs offered at clinics or community programs, which can see up to 75% of participants leave clbades. Many federal and state services are already provided through home visiting programs and this program could be a valuable complement to these efforts.

Dr. Hawkins and Martin said, "Our results showed that at mid-study, the children were healthier. Changes in parental health did not occur, however, until the end of the study. stresses the need for long-term, family-oriented programs to support behavioral change. "