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Play it forward! A community-based participatory research approach to childhood obesity prevention
Jerica M Berge1, Seok Won Jin2, Carrie Hanson3
1Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota Medical School.
Insights
Community-based participatory research (CBPR) successfully engaged parents in developing a childhood obesity intervention. This collaborative approach showed high feasibility and participant satisfaction, suggesting promise for future obesity prevention efforts.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Community Health
- Obesity Prevention
Background:
- Childhood obesity prevention interventions have faced limited success, often due to challenges in engaging parents.
- Community-based participatory research (CBPR) offers a novel approach to involve parents in intervention development.
- This study details the creation and implementation of a childhood obesity intervention using CBPR.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the process of developing and implementing a childhood obesity prevention intervention using CBPR.
- To form and utilize a citizen action group (CAG) comprising parents and researchers.
- To pilot test the 'Play It Forward!' intervention designed through community-academic collaboration.
Main Methods:
- A CBPR approach was employed, forming a CAG (n=12) of community members and researchers.
- The CAG co-created the 'Play It Forward!' intervention over two years (2011-2013).
- A pilot study involved 50 families with children aged 6-12, with 25 in the experimental group and 25 in the control group.
Main Results:
- The 'Play It Forward!' intervention demonstrated high feasibility and process evaluation indicated high participant satisfaction.
- Over 50% of families attended at least 75% of intervention events.
- 33% of participating families attended all intervention events, indicating strong engagement.
Conclusions:
- Equal collaboration between parents and academic researchers is a promising strategy for addressing childhood obesity.
- The CBPR approach and the 'Play It Forward!' intervention warrant further investigation and testing.
- Engaging parents directly in intervention design and delivery can enhance participation and satisfaction.
Background:
To date there has been limited success with childhood obesity prevention interventions. This may be due in part, to the challenge of reaching and engaging parents in interventions. The current study used a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to engage parents in cocreating and pilot testing a childhood obesity prevention intervention. Because CBPR approaches to childhood obesity prevention are new, this study aims to detail the creation, including the formation of the citizen action group (CAG), and implementation of a childhood obesity prevention intervention using CBPR methods.
Method:
A CBPR approach was used to recruit community members to partner with university researchers in the CAG (n = 12) to create and implement the Play It Forward! childhood obesity intervention. The intervention creation and implementation took 2 years. During Year 1 (2011-2012), the CAG carried out a community needs and resources assessment and designed a community-based and family focused childhood obesity prevention intervention. During Year 2 (2012-2013), the CAG implemented the intervention and conducted an evaluation. Families (n = 50; 25 experimental/25 control group) with children ages 6-12 years participated in Play It Forward!
Results:
Feasibility and process evaluation data suggested that the intervention was highly feasible and participants in both the CAG and intervention were highly satisfied. Specifically, over half of the families attended 75% of the Play It Forward! events and 33% of families attended all the events.
Conclusion:
Equal collaboration between parents and academic researchers to address childhood obesity may be a promising approach that merits further testing.
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