A brief eHealth tool delivered in primary care to help parents prevent childhood obesity: a randomized controlled...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatrics
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern requiring effective prevention strategies.
• Primary care settings offer opportunities for early intervention in childhood obesity.
• Electronic health (eHealth) tools can enhance the delivery of health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and preliminary impact of an eHealth screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) program for childhood obesity prevention.
• To evaluate parental engagement with an eHealth SBIRT delivered in a primary care setting.

Main Methods:

• Parents of children aged 5-17 years were recruited from a primary care clinic.
• An eHealth SBIRT tool on a tablet assessed children's weight status and randomized parents to interventions or a control group.
• Feasibility was measured by recruitment and resource uptake; impact was assessed by parental concern and intention to change behaviors.

Main Results:

• The study recruited 84.3% of eligible parents, and 85.8% utilized optional resources, indicating feasibility.
• While secondary outcomes did not differ significantly across groups, non-Caucasian parents inaccurately estimating their child's weight reported increased concern and intention to change.
• The eHealth SBIRT demonstrated feasibility in a primary care setting.

Conclusions:

• The developed eHealth SBIRT is a feasible tool for primary care settings.
• This innovative approach shows potential to motivate parents of children with unhealthy weight towards adopting preventative lifestyle changes.