NOURISH+: Nourishing Our Understanding of Role Modeling to Improve Support and Health

Pediatric overweight is a national public health concern. The percentage of overweight children in the U.S. between the ages of 5 and 11 has nearly tripled in the last 3 decades. African American children are particularly at risk. Pediatric overweight is associated with numerous physical and psychological health problems. Moreover, overweight children are at significant risk for obesity in adulthood. Thus, a focus on pediatric overweight is an important step in the prevention of adult obesity.

Despite the urgent need for pediatric overweight interventions, outcomes of some of the most rigorous treatments are, at best, mixed. Although research has found that including parents in interventions for pediatric overweight has positive effects on outcomes, parental involvement is usually limited. Moreover, relatively few studies have included sufficient numbers of lower-SES, African American participants, a group at increased risk for pediatric overweight and associated complications. This study will evaluate the efficacy of an intensive intervention targeting ethnically diverse parents of overweight, children ages 5-11 (NOURISH-Nourishing Our Understanding of Role Modeling to Improve Support and Health).

Inclusion criteria

• Parents/caregivers must be at least 18 years old
• Parents/caregivers must have a child between the ages of 5 and 11 with a BMI > the 85th percentile, who primarily resides in the caregiver's home
• Parents/caregivers need to speak English, be able to follow basic instructions, and perform simple exercises

Exclusion criteria

• Non-ambulatory parents/caregivers
• Pregnant parents/caregivers
• Parents/caregivers who have a medical condition that might be negatively impacted by exercise
• Parents/caregivers who have a psychiatric diagnosis that would impair their ability to respond to assessments or participate in a group
• Parents whose children have a medical or developmental condition that precludes weight loss using conventional diet and exercise methods