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Completed

NCT Number: NCT00987532

A Participatory Parental Intervention Promoting Physical Activity in Preschools

The aim of this study is to test whether a parent-focused participatory intervention in addition to gym lessons can enhance preschoolers physical activity compared to gym lessons alone.

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Key information

Conditions

Obesity Behavior Body Weight Motor Activity Nutrition Disorders Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases Overnutrition Overweight Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Physical Activity Signs and Symptoms

Age range

3 year–6 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Mannheim Institute of Public Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University

Mannheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, 68167, Germany

About this study

Over the last 20 years, physical activity (PA) in children has rapidly decreased in both developed and developing nations. More effective interventions to prevent inactivity in childhood thus are urgently needed. The preschool years, including the adiposity rebound period, might represent a good window of opportunity. Study literature suggests that targeting parents is crucial for lasting changes in young childrens' behavior. However, it is not known which methods are effective for involving parents in physical activity promotion. Consistent with experience from community-based participatory research, encouraging parents to participate the intervention in terms of content and structure might lead to higher intervention effectivity and sustainability. In our study, we therefore "enriched" a child-centered physical activity intervention in preschools (twice weekly gym lessons over 6 months) with a parent-focused participatory community intervention component.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • age 3-6 years

Exclusion criteria

  • severe atopic dermatitis,
  • serious acute infectious diseases,
  • physical malformations, and
  • severe physical disabilities.

Treatment and study plan

parent-focused intervention

Behavioral

The core of the parent-focused intervention is a menu of 15 easy to realize project ideas to promote the everyday physical activity of children and families. The 15 ideas are presented to the parents and teachers via a webpage, a printed book and a film. During a face-to-face meeting, parents and teachers are guided into discussions of their own preschool environment's and community's physical activity shortcomings and encouraged to generate their own ideas of how to enhance the physical activity of their families and preschools. Over the course of three structured follow-up meetings, parents and teachers are instructed to choose maximally 3 to 4 ideas from either the menu or the network's own ideas, and then are empowered to realize and implement them together.

Other names: Ene mene fit - Eltern machen mit

twice weekly gym lessons

Behavioral

twice weekly one-hour gym lessons delivered by a specially trained external physical education teacher over 6 months

Other names: child-centered physical activity intervention

Primary outcomes

  1. Absolute change in mean accelerometry counts over 6 days

    Time frame: baseline, end of intervention, six months after end of intervention

Secondary outcomes

  1. Body Mass Index

    Time frame: baseline, end of intervention, six months after end of intervention

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Universitätsmedizin Mannheim

Other

Collaborators

  • Baden-Württemberg Stiftung gGmbH

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2008
Primary completion
2010
Study completion
2011
First posted
Oct 1, 2009
Registry last updated
May 11, 2023

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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