This project will determine the preliminary efficacy of an innovative intergenerational intervention among Head Start preschoolers, aged 3-5 years, and their caregivers. A two-group cluster randomized controlled trial will be conducted. Six Head Start centers will be randomly assigned to the intervention (n=3) or control group (n=3), and an average of 6 caregiver-preschooler dyads will be recruited from each class (N=144 dyads from 16 classes). Grounded in an Actor-Partner Interdependence Model, the 16-week intervention has 3 components: 1) a caregiver component, including 1a) a Facebook-based program with weekly electronic retrievable flyers providing health information and behavioral change strategies and 4 weekly habit-formation tasks to improve parenting practices and home environment for preschoolers; and 1b) 3 face-to-face or virtual meetings (weeks 1, 8, \& 16) to establish personal connections and communication networks among caregivers, discuss strategies, and share community resources to support preschoolers' behavioral changes at home; 2) a caregiver-preschooler learning component via Facebook messenger to send preschooler letters to each caregiver privately by the research team twice per week to 2a) share the preschooler's experiences of learning at school and his/her interests for a healthy diet and physical activity at home, and 2b) elicit caregivers' response to the letters; and 3) a Head Start center-based preschooler component to help preschoolers establish healthy habits via weekly healthy diet and physical activity participatory learning.
Who can participate
Age range
3 Years – 5 Years
Sex
ALL
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Inclusion criteria
. Have parental consent.
. Have child assent if the child is 5 years old.
. Be 3-5 years of age. The investigators prioritize this age group because intervening with preschoolers before age 5 results in better short- and long-term weight reduction outcomes than with children older than 5; and children who are at least 3 years-old have the motor and cognitive development to participate in a healthy eating and physical activity curriculum.
. Be able to understand and speak English. The intervention will be delivered in English.
. Be enrolled in the full-day or part-day Head Start program. Head Start offers part-day and full-day programs. To increase the generalizability of the study findings, preschoolers from both full-day and part-day programs will be recruited in this study.
Questions worth asking your doctor
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
1This trial focused on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in preschool-aged children — does my child's current activity level and weight history make this kind of early intervention something worth exploring for us?
2Since this study is completed, has the data been published, and if so, what did it show about whether the physical activity program actually made a measurable difference in young children at risk for obesity?
3The trial involved intergenerational participation — does that mean parents or grandparents were expected to take part too, and how might that kind of family commitment fit realistically into our schedule?
4Since this was a Phase NA study focused on behavior and risk reduction rather than a drug or device, what are the known risks or downsides of an early physical activity intervention like this for a preschooler?
5Given that this trial is now completed and no longer enrolling, are there similar early intervention programs for childhood obesity that my child's care team could refer us to right now?
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
Questions for the trial coordinator
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
. Be the primary adult caregiver (≥ 18 years old) for the preschooler. Primary caregiver refers to the one person most responsible for providing care to the preschooler on a daily basis.
. Be able to read, understand, and speak English. The intervention will be delivered in English.
Exclusion criteria
. Preschoolers or caregivers who have medical conditions precluding participating in dietary changes or physical activity.
. Preschoolers or caregivers who have diagnosed health conditions known to impact weight (e.g., Prader-Willi Syndrome) or are taking weight-affecting medications (e.g., stimulants).
. Preschoolers who have diagnosed developmental disabilities (e.g., autism), or caregivers who have diagnosed psychiatric or mental health problems.