Child-Centred Health Dialogue for primary prevention of obesity in Child Health Services - a feasibility study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Public Health Interventions
• Obesity Prevention

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern requiring effective primary prevention strategies.
• Early intervention in preschool years is crucial for establishing healthy habits.
• Child Health Services offer a key setting for implementing preventive health dialogues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of a Child-Centred Health Dialogue model for primary obesity prevention in 4-year-olds.
• To assess the responsiveness of health outcomes related to the intervention.
• To determine the model's effectiveness in preventing overweight and obesity in early childhood.

Main Methods:

• A non-randomized quasi-experimental cluster design was employed, comparing the intervention group with a control group receiving usual care.
• The intervention included a universal health dialogue for all children and a targeted component for those identified as overweight.
• Nurses were trained in the model, with tutorship provided for reflection and discussion.

Main Results:

• 203 children participated in the Child-Centred Health Dialogue, and 582 received usual care.
• Nurses successfully implemented both universal and targeted aspects of the intervention.
• Fewer normal-weight children in the intervention group became overweight by age five compared to the control group, though this difference was not statistically significant. No cases of obesity were observed in the intervention group.

Conclusions:

• The Child-Centred Health Dialogue model is feasible for implementation by nurses in Child Health Services.
• The intervention shows a positive trend in preventing the development of overweight and obesity in young children.
• Further research with larger sample sizes may be needed to confirm statistical significance.