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A web- and mobile phone-based intervention to prevent obesity in 4-year-olds (MINISTOP): a population-based
Christine Delisle1, Sven Sandin2, Elisabet Forsum3
1Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, NOVUM, Huddinge, 141 83, Sweden. christine.delisle@ki.se.
Insights
This study tests a mobile health (mHealth) app to prevent childhood obesity in 4-year-olds. The MINSTOP trial aims to reduce body fatness and promote healthy habits through personalized guidance for parents.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Digital Health
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a growing global health concern, with overweight and obesity often established by age 2-5.
- Early intervention is crucial for effective prevention and treatment of pediatric obesity.
- Mobile health (mHealth) interventions show promise for adult weight management but are understudied in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the study design and methodology of the MINSTOP (Mobile-based Intervention Intended to Stop Obesity in Preschoolers) trial.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of an mHealth program in mitigating body fatness gain in 4-year-old children.
- To explore the potential of mHealth interventions for widespread implementation in child healthcare to combat childhood obesity.
Main Methods:
- A two-arm, parallel randomized controlled trial involving 300 Swedish 4-year-olds.
- A 6-month mHealth intervention using a web-based application (MINSTOP app) based on Social Cognitive Theory.
- Parents receive personalized information and text messages promoting healthy eating and physical activity, and register child's intake and activity levels.
Main Results:
- Primary outcomes include body fatness and energy intake.
- Secondary outcomes encompass sedentary time, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, physical fitness, and dietary intake (fruits, vegetables, snacks, soft drinks, candy).
- Measurements are taken at baseline, 6 months (post-intervention), and 12 months (follow-up).
Conclusions:
- The MINSTOP trial is a novel study evaluating an mHealth program's effectiveness in reducing body fatness in preschoolers.
- If effective, this intervention has significant potential for integration into child healthcare systems.
- The study aims to provide an evidence-based approach to counteract the rising rates of childhood overweight and obesity.
Background:
Childhood obesity is an increasing health problem globally. Overweight and obesity may be established as early as 2-5 years of age, highlighting the need for evidence-based effective prevention and treatment programs early in life. In adults, mobile phone based interventions for weight management (mHealth) have demonstrated positive effects on body mass, however, their use in child populations has yet to be examined. The aim of this paper is to report the study design and methodology of the MINSTOP (Mobile-based Intervention Intended to Stop Obesity in Preschoolers) trial.
Methods/Design:
A two-arm, parallel design randomized controlled trial in 300 healthy Swedish 4-year-olds is conducted. After baseline measures, parents are allocated to either an intervention- or control group. The 6- month mHealth intervention consists of a web-based application (the MINSTOP app) to help parents promote healthy eating and physical activity in children. MINISTOP is based on the Social Cognitive Theory and involves the delivery of a comprehensive, personalized program of information and text messages based on existing guidelines for a healthy diet and active lifestyle in pre-school children. Parents also register physical activity and intakes of candy, soft drinks, vegetables as well as fruits of their child and receive feedback through the application. Primary outcomes include body fatness and energy intake, while secondary outcomes are time spent in sedentary, moderate, and vigorous physical activity, physical fitness and intakes of fruits and vegetables, snacks, soft drinks and candy. Food and energy intake (Tool for Energy balance in Children, TECH), body fatness (pediatric option for BodPod), physical activity (Actigraph wGT3x-BT) and physical fitness (the PREFIT battery of five fitness tests) are measured at baseline, after the intervention (six months after baseline) and at follow-up (12 months after baseline).
Discussion:
This novel study will evaluate the effectiveness of a mHealth program for mitigating gain in body fatness among 4-year-old children. If the intervention proves effective it has great potential to be implemented in child-health care to counteract childhood overweight and obesity.
Trial Registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02021786 ; 20 Dec 2013.
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