title: An approach to improve parent participation in a childhood obesity prevention program.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Engaging parents in interventions can be difficult because of various barriers. An engaging children's program that runs parallel to a parent program may facilitate parent participation. In this study, we assessed parents' perception of the children's component of Parents and Tots Together (PTT), a family-based obesity prevention program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen of the 16 ethnically diverse parents who participated in an uncontrolled trial of PTT completed a survey assessing their satisfaction with the PTT children's component. More detailed information was obtained from one-on-one qualitative interviews with seven parents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Attendance at program sessions was relatively high; 69% of parents attended six or more of the nine sessions. Survey data revealed that 87% of parents were "very satisfied" with the children's group. Approximately 73% of parents reported that the program was "very useful" in helping their child learn the importance of healthy eating and physical activity. In qualitative interviews, many parents identified the children's program as a motivator for attendance at the program sessions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The interactive children's program was well received by parents and may serve as a catalyst for parent participation. Larger, randomized trials are needed to determine the effectiveness of children's programming for enhancing parent participation.
authors.affiliation: Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Harvard Medical School.
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: Jess
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haines
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000379:methods*; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010465:Perception