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Rationale and design of active play @ home: a parent-led physical activity program for children with and without
Daniela A Rubin1, Kathleen S Wilson, Lenny D Wiersma
1Department of Kinesiology, California State University, 800 N, State College Blvd,, KHS-138, Fullerton, CA 92834, USA. drubin@fullerton.edu.
Insights
This study designed a parent-led physical activity program for children with Prader-Willi Syndrome and obesity. The intervention uses games to build confidence and promote lifelong physical activity.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric obesity and rare genetic disorders.
- Behavioral interventions and physical activity promotion.
- Child development and motor skill acquisition.
Background:
- Children with disabilities, including Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), face unique challenges in physical activity.
- PWS is a rare genetic condition causing childhood obesity, hypotonia, and developmental delays, making group interventions difficult.
- Home-based interventions offer a practical approach to increase physical activity in youth with PWS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the design of a parent-led physical activity intervention for youth with and without PWS.
- To increase physical activity participation through a blended approach of playground and console-based games.
- To enhance motor skill competency and self-efficacy for sustained physical activity behavior change.
Main Methods:
- A parallel-design study involving 115 youth (ages 8-15), with 45 diagnosed with PWS and 70 with obesity.
- A 6-month curriculum including 4 days/week of physical activity: 2 days of playground games and 2 days of interactive console games.
- Parental training, weekly/bi-weekly phone support, and outcome assessments (physical activity, body composition, motor proficiency, quality of life, self-efficacy) at baseline, 12, and 24 weeks.
Main Results:
- This section is not yet available as the study is in the design phase.
- Intervention compliance will be monitored via daily self-report checklists.
- Data collection includes accelerometry, DXA scans, motor proficiency tests, and validated questionnaires.
Conclusions:
- The intervention aims to boost physical activity and self-confidence in children through skill development.
- Enhancing motor skills and enjoyment of physical activity is expected to lead to long-term behavior change.
- This parent-guided approach provides a scalable model for promoting physical activity in a home setting.
Background:
Compared to other children, those with disability have additional challenges to being physically active. Prader-Willi Syndrome is a genetic form of childhood obesity that is characterized by hypotonia, growth hormone deficiency, behavioral, and cognitive disability. In children, the low prevalence of this syndrome (1 in 10,000 to 15,000 live births) makes group-based physical activity interventions difficult. In contrast, the home environment presents a natural venue to establish a physical activity routine for this population. This manuscript describes the design of a parent-led physical activity intervention incorporating playground and interactive console-based games to increase physical activity participation in youth with and without Prader-Willi Syndrome.
Methods/Design:
The study participants will be 115 youth ages 8-15 y (45 with the syndrome and 70 without the syndrome but categorized as obese). The study will use a parallel design with the control group receiving the intervention after serving as control. Participants will be expected to complete a physical activity curriculum 4 days a week for 6 months including playground games 2 days a week and interactive console games 2 days a week. Parents will be trained at baseline and then provided with a curriculum and equipment to guide their implementation of the program. Tips related to scheduling and coping with barriers to daily program implementation will be provided. Throughout, parents will be contacted by phone once a week (weeks 1-4) and then every other week to receive support in between visits. Measurements of children and parents will be obtained at baseline, 12 weeks, and at the end (week 24) of the intervention. Children main outcomes include physical activity (accelerometry), body composition (dual x-ray absorptiometry), motor proficiency (Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency), quality of life and physical activity self-efficacy (questionnaires). Intervention compliance will be monitored using mail-in daily self-report checklists.
Discussion:
This parent-guided physical activity intervention aims to increase physical activity by using a curriculum that builds physical activity related self-confidence through the development and/or enhancement of motor skill competency. Ultimately, helping children develop these skills as well as joy in being physically active will translate into sustained behavior change.
Trial Registration:
Current Controlled Trial: NCT02058342.
