Implementing Prevention Plus for Childhood Overweight and Obesity in Food Secure and Insecure Families

Families will receive 6 monthly newsletters and meet with a BHC at the clinic for 30 minutes during months 1, 3, and 5. Child height and weight will be taken. Families will receive feedback about growth and the weight status of their child. The session materials will be reviewed and behavioral parenting strategies will be encouraged to aid with changing two dietary and two leisure-time activity (energy balance) behaviors of the child. The caretaker will also change the same energy balance behaviors as the child, as adult caretakers can then model healthy behaviors. The caretaker and child will be encouraged to change and self-monitor energy balance behaviors with the use of the picture-based diaries. During months 2, 4, and 6, BHCs will complete a 20-minute phone call with the caretaker. Caretakers will be asked to measure the height and weight of their child, calculate BMI and plot it on the BMI-for-age growth chart prior to the call. The BHC will provide feedback.

This condition will be identical to PP+ except that caretakers will not receive any energy balance behavior goals. Additionally, the caretaker will not self-monitor energy balance behaviors. The focus will be on all other behavioral parenting strategies to assist the child with making changes in the targeted behaviors.