Multicomponent obesity prevention intervention in low-income preschoolers: Primary and subgroup analyses of the NET-works randomized clinical trial, 2012-2017

Objectives. To evaluate a multicomponent obesity prevention intervention among diverse, low-income preschoolers. Methods. Parent-child dyads (n = 534) were randomized to the Now Everybody Together for Amazing and Healthful Kids (NET-Works) intervention or usual care in Minneapolis, MN (2012-2017). The intervention consisted of home visits, parenting classes, and telephone check-ins. The primary outcomes were adjusted 24- and 36-month body mass index (BMI). Results. Compared with usual care, the NET-Works intervention showed no significant difference in BMI change at 24 (-0.12 kg/m2; 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.44, 0.19) or 36 months (-0.19 kg/m2; 95% CI = -0.64, 0.26). Energy intake was significantly lower in the NET-Works group at 24 (-90 kcal/day; 95% CI = -164, -16) and 36 months (-101 kcal/day; 95% CI = -164, -37). Television viewing was significantly lower in the NET-Works group at 24 (rate ratio = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.75, 0.93) and 36 months (rate ratio = 0.88; 95% CI = 0.78, 0.99). Children with baseline overweight or obesity had lower BMI in the NET-Works group than those in usual care at 36 months (-0.71 kg/m2; 95% CI = -1.30, -0.12). Hispanic children had lower BMI in the NET-Works group than those in usual care at 36 months (-0.59 kg/m2; 95% CI = -1.14, -0.04). Conclusions. In secondary analyses, NET-Works significantly reduced BMI over 3 years among Hispanic children and children with baseline overweight or obesity. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01606891

The dose of behavioral interventions to prevent and treat childhood obesity: a systematic review and meta-regression

Abstract Background A better understanding of the optimal “dose” of behavioral interventions to affect change in weight-related outcomes is a critical topic for childhood obesity intervention research. The objective of this review was to quantify the relationship between dose and outcome in behavioral trials targeting childhood obesity to guide future intervention development. Methods A systematic review and meta-regression included randomized controlled trials published between 1990 and June 2017 that tested a behavioral intervention for obesity among children 2–18 years old. Searches were conducted among PubMed (Web-based), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (EBSCO platform), PsycINFO (Ovid platform) and EMBASE (Ovid Platform). Two coders independently reviewed and abstracted each included study. Dose was extracted as intended intervention duration, number of sessions, and length of sessions. Standardized effect sizes were calculated from change in weight-related outcome (e.g., BMI-Z score). Results Of the 258 studies identified, 133 had sufficient data to be included in the meta-regression. Average intended total contact (# sessions x length of sessions) was 27.7 (SD 32.2) hours and average duration was 26.0 (SD 23.4) weeks. When controlling for study covariates, a random-effects meta-regression revealed no significant association between contact hours, intended duration or their interaction and effect size. Conclusions This systematic review identified wide variation in the dose of behavioral interventions to prevent and treat pediatric obesity, but was unable to detect a clear relationship between dose and weight-related outcomes. There is insufficient evidence to provide quantitative guidance for future intervention development. One limitation of this review was the ability to uniformly quantify dose due to a wide range of reporting strategies. Future trials should report dose intended, delivered, and received to facilitate quantitative evaluation of optimal dose. Trial registrations The protocol was registered on PROSPERO (Registration # CRD42016036124 )