title: Healthy Habits, Happy Homes: methods and baseline data of a randomized controlled trial to improve household routines for obesity prevention.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop a home-based intervention for parents of 2-5 year old children to promote household routines to prevent overweight/obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 121 children from health centers in Boston between 2011 and 2012 and randomized 62 to intervention and 59 to the control condition. The 6-month intervention included 1) motivational coaching at home and by phone with a health educator, 2) mailed educational materials, and 3) weekly text messages. The intervention promoted three household routines: eating meals as a family, obtaining adequate sleep, and limiting screen time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 121 children, mean (SD) age was 4.0 (1.1) years; 52% were Hispanic, 34% Black, and 14% White/Other. Nearly 60% of the sample had annual household incomes ≤ $20,000. Approximately 64% of families reported eating together ≥ 7 times per week, however, many meals were eaten in front of a TV. Over half of the children slept less than the recommended 11h/night and 78% viewed ≥ 2 h/day of screen time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Household routines that increase obesity risk were prevalent among low-income families in this study. If proven to be effective, promotion of household routines related to family meals, sleep, and screen time may prevent young children from becoming overweight/obese.
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA. Elsie_Taveras@harvardpilgrim.org
authors.forename: Elsie M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Taveras
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: Jess
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haines
authors.forename: Bettylou
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sherry
authors.forename: Clement J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Bottino
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Troncoso
authors.forename: Marie Evans
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Koziol
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001900:Boston; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D040441:Health Educators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008611:Mentors; D009042:Motivation; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016487:Parenting; D011203:Poverty; D012890:Sleep; D013664:Teaching Materials; D013690:Television; D060145:Text Messaging