title: Primary prevention of overweight in preschool children, the BeeBOFT study (breastfeeding, breakfast daily, outside playing, few sweet drinks, less TV viewing): design of a cluster randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Two overweight prevention interventions were developed to be offered by preventive Youth Health Care (YHC) in addition to the currently applied overweight prevention protocol to parents of 0-3 year old children. The two interventions aim to support parents of preschool children to realize healthy child nutrition and activity behaviors of their young child. The aim of this study is to assess the effects of the two overweight prevention interventions with regard to child health behaviors and child Body Mass Index.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted among parents and their preschool children who attend one of 51 participating YHC teams. The teams were randomly allocated to one of the two intervention groups, or to the control group (care as usual).The 'BBOFT+' intervention focuses on effective child rearing by parents from birth onwards by enlarging parental skills concerning healthy behavioural life-style habits. Parents who are allocated to the 'E-health4Uth Healthy toddler' intervention group, at the child age of circa 18 and 24 months old, are invited to complete an online E-health module providing tailored health education regarding healthy child nutrition and activity behaviors. The E-health messages are discussed and reinforced during the subsequent regularly scheduled visits by YHC professionals, and were repeated after 4 weeks.The primary outcome measures at child age 3 years are: overweight inducing/reducing behaviors, (for 'BBOFT+' only) healthy sleep, Body Mass Index and prevalence of overweight and obesity. Secondary outcome measures are attitudes and other cognitive characteristics of the parents regarding the overweight-related behaviors of their child, parenting styles and practices, and health-related quality of life of the children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We hypothesize that the use of the additional interventions will result in a healthier lifestyle of preschool children and an improved BMI and less development of overweight and obesity compared to usual care.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Nederlands Trial Register NTR1831.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, Dr, Molewaterplein 50, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, the Netherlands. h.raat@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: Hein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Raat
authors.forename: Mirjam K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Struijk
authors.forename: Teun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Remmers
authors.forename: Eline
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vlasblom
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van Grieken
authors.forename: Suzanne M L
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Broeren
authors.forename: Saskia J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: te Velde
authors.forename: Maaike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beltman
authors.forename: Magda M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Boere-Boonekamp
authors.forename: Monique P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: L'Hoir
mesh_terms: D001628:Beverages / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015992:Body Mass Index; D062408:Breakfast; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D010988:Play and Playthings; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012107:Research Design; D013690:Television / Q000706:statistics & numerical data