Toddler Overweight Prevention Study Among Low-Income Families

At each session, mothers will identify a dietary goal for the next session (e.g., reduce soda intake). They will learn to track and evaluate their progress, setting new goals or modifying existing ones as necessary. Mothers will be given pedometers and shown how to keep a pedometer tracking chart. As with dietary choice, our objective is to have the mothers identify personal goals and strategies to achieve those goals, so they are more likely to continue to engage in physical activity after the intervention ends.

Behavior and Development Related to Diet and Physical Activity. The toddler parenting intervention will include modules on toddler behavior and development. We will devote sessions to topics involving parenting toddlers, limit setting, and child development.

The intervention will focus on child safety issues, including car seat safety, fire safety, fall prevention, and poison prevention. Participants will set weekly child safety goals.