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Long-Term Effects of a Responsive Parenting Intervention on Child Weight Outcomes Through Age 9 Years: The INSIGHT

Ian M Paul1,2, Jennifer M Barton3, Stephanie Anzman-Frasca4,5

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania.

JAMA Pediatrics
|March 10, 2025
PubMed

Insights

An early responsive parenting intervention lowered body mass index (BMI) in children through age 9, particularly in girls. Sustaining these obesity prevention effects may require a life-course approach.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Obesity Prevention
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a growing concern with limited success in behavioral interventions.
  • Primary prevention strategies are crucial, but their long-term effectiveness remains uncertain.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the long-term impact of an early-life responsive parenting intervention on weight outcomes.
  • To assess intervention effectiveness from delivery through age 2 years up to age 9 years.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized clinical trial compared a responsive parenting intervention with a home safety control.
  • The study involved primiparous mother-child dyads, with follow-up assessments until age 9 years.
  • Body mass index (BMI) was the primary outcome, analyzed using repeated-measures analysis.

Main Results:

  • Children in the responsive parenting group showed a lower mean BMI from ages 3 to 9 years compared to controls.
  • This effect was significant in female participants, with lower BMI observed in the intervention group.
  • No significant differences in BMI z scores or prevalence of overweight/obesity were found at ages 5, 6, and 9 years.

Conclusions:

  • An early-life responsive parenting intervention can lead to reduced BMI in childhood.
  • The observed benefits were primarily in girls and appeared to diminish over time.
  • Sustained obesity prevention may necessitate a life-course approach integrating early interventions.
Abstract

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