CATCH: family process evaluation in a multicenter trial

The Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH) is an elementary school cardiovascular health education field trial in progress in San Diego, California, New Orleans, Louisiana, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Austin, Texas. Because a significant part of a child's health behaviors are shaped within the home, CATCH is evaluating whether the effects of the school-based program are enhanced by the inclusion of a home-based program. A 7 x 7 x 10 randomized design with 7 school-only and 7 school-plus-family intervention schools, along with 10 control schools is implemented at each site. The CATCH family intervention is implemented during Grades 3 through 5 and consists of home-based curricula and Family Fun Nights focusing on healthier eating and increased physical activity during Grades 3 and 4, along with a smoking prevention curriculum in Grade 5. CATCH is examining the effectiveness of family (household) involvement through changes in students' dietary intake of fat and sodium. This paper describes the process evaluation methods used to document the extent of participation in the family program. Data reported for the third-grade Family Fun Nights held in the 28 family schools across all sites reflected an average student participation rate of 67%. The average family member to student ratio was approximately 2:1. Participation by all third-grade teachers and the majority of physical education specialists was observed.