HARVEY-BERINO, JEAN AND JANINE ROURKE.Obesity prevention in preschool Native-American children: results of a pilot study using home visiting. Obes Res. 2003; 11:606-611. Objective: To determine whether maternal participation in an obesity prevention plus parenting support (OPPS) intervention would reduce the prevalence of obesity in high-risk Native-American children when compared with a parenting support (PS)-only intervention. Research Methods and Procedures: Forty-three mother/ child pairs were recruited to participate. Mothers were 26.5 Ϯ 5 years old with a mean BMI of 29.9 Ϯ 3 kg/m 2 . Children (23 males) were 22 Ϯ 8 months old with mean weight-for-height z (WHZ) scores of 0.73 Ϯ 1.4. Mothers were randomly assigned to a 16-week OPPS intervention or PS alone. The intervention was delivered one-on-one in homes by an indigenous peer educator. Baseline and week 16 assessments included weight and height (WHZ score and weight-for-height percentile for children), dietary intake (3-day food records), physical activity (measured by accelerometers), parental feeding style (Child Feeding Questionnaire), and maternal outcome expectations, self-efficacy, and intention to change diet and exercise behaviors. Results: Changes in WHZ scores showed a trend toward significance, with WHZ scores decreasing in the PS condition and increasing among the OPPS group (Ϫ0.27 Ϯ 1.1 vs. 0.31 Ϯ 1.1, p ϭ 0.06). Children in the OPPS condition also significantly decreased energy intake (Ϫ316 Ϯ 835 kcal/d vs. 197 Ϯ 608 kcal/d, p Ͻ 0.05). Scores on the restriction subscale of the Child Feeding Questionnaire decreased significantly in the OPPS condition (Ϫ0.22Ϯ 0.42 vs. 0.08Ϯ 0.63, p Ͻ 0.05), indicating that mothers in the OPPS group were engaging in less restrictive child feeding practices over time. Discussion: A home-visiting program focused on changing lifestyle behaviors and improving parenting skills showed promise for obesity prevention in high-risk Native-American children.
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