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Published on: August 12, 2016
A mHealth randomized controlled trial to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage intake in preschool-aged children
B T Nezami1,2, D S Ward1,3, L A Lytle3,2
1Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Insights
A smartphone intervention significantly reduced sugar-sweetened beverage and juice intake in young children and helped mothers with overweight or obesity lose weight. This mHealth approach offers a novel strategy for family-based childhood obesity prevention.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Obesity Prevention
- mHealth Interventions
- Maternal Health
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern, with sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and maternal weight identified as key risk factors.
- Few studies have effectively targeted these specific risk factors for child obesity prevention.
- Novel strategies are needed to address the complex interplay of maternal and child health in preventing obesity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of a smartphone-delivered intervention aimed at reducing sugar-sweetened beverage and juice (SSB/juice) consumption in children aged 3-5 years.
- To assess the intervention's impact on maternal weight among mothers with overweight or obesity.
- To explore the potential of mHealth technologies in family-based obesity prevention.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 51 mother-child dyads where children consumed at least 12 fl. oz./day of SSB/juice.
- The intervention group (Smart Moms) received a group session, mobile website lessons, and text messages.
- Mothers self-monitored child and own beverage intake, high-calorie foods, and weight, with assessments at baseline, 3, and 6 months.
Main Results:
- Children in the Smart Moms group showed a significantly greater reduction in SSB/juice consumption at 6 months (-9.7 oz./day) compared to the control group (1.7 oz./day).
- Mothers in the Smart Moms group experienced a mean weight loss of 2.4 kg at 6 months, while the control group had a mean weight gain of 0.9 kg.
- Statistical analyses controlled for baseline values, child age, and race.
Conclusions:
- mHealth technologies can effectively deliver interventions targeting maternal behavior change to improve child dietary habits.
- This smartphone-based approach demonstrated success in reducing child SSB/juice intake and promoting maternal weight loss.
- The study suggests a promising and novel family-based strategy for childhood obesity prevention.
Background:
Sugar-sweetened beverages and maternal weight are strong drivers of child obesity, but few studies have targeted these risk factors as an obesity prevention strategy in children.
Objective:
The objective of this study was to test the efficacy of a smartphone-delivered intervention to reduce parent-provided sugar-sweetened beverage and juice (SSB/juice) consumption among children ages 3-5 and maternal weight.
Methods:
Mothers with overweight or obesity, who had a child ages 3-5 that consumed at least 12 fl. oz./day of SSB/juice (N = 51 dyads) were randomized to the Smart Moms group that received one group session, lessons on a mobile website, and text messages, or to a waitlist control group. Mothers self-monitored their children's beverages in addition to their own beverages, high-calorie foods, and weight. Assessments at baseline, 3, and 6 months included dietary recalls to measure SSB/juice intake and objectively measured maternal weight.
Results:
Using linear mixed models controlling for baseline values, child age and race, there was a greater reduction in child SSB/juice in Smart Moms compared with control at 6 months (-9.7 oz./day vs. 1.7 oz./day, p < .01). Mothers in Smart Moms lost 2.4 kg at 6 months compared with a 0.9-kg gain in the control group (p < .01).
Conclusions:
An intervention delivered using mHealth technologies can target mothers to change child dietary behaviours and improve maternal weight, which suggests a novel approach to family-based obesity prevention.
