Practicalities and Research Considerations for Conducting Childhood Obesity Prevention Interventions with Families.
Internationally, childhood obesity is a major public health concern. Given the established difficulties in treating obesity, designing and evaluating effective obesity prevention interventions are research priorities. As parents play a crucial role in establishing positive health behaviours in children, they are a key target for child obesity prevention programs. However, recruiting and engaging parents in such interventions can be a considerable challenge for researchers and practitioners. Members of the 'Parenting, Child Behaviour and Well-being' stream of the Australasian Child and Adolescent Obesity Research Network (ACAORN) have considerable and varied expertise in conducting such interventions and can provide insights into addressing these challenges. This paper aims to highlight considerations regarding the design, implementation, and evaluation of obesity prevention interventions with families and provide practical insights and recommendations for researchers and practitioners conducting family-based research in this area. Case studies of three family-based interventions conducted by ACAORN members are highlighted to provide examples and contextualise the recommendations proposed.
Priority Research Centre in Physical Activity and Nutrition, University of Newcastle, Callaghan Campus, Newcastle 2308, Australia. philip.morgan@newcastle.edu.au.
Philip J
PJ
Morgan
Early Start Research Institute, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong 2522, Australia. rachelj@uow.edu.au.
Rachel A
RA
Jones
Priority Research Centre in Physical Activity and Nutrition, University of Newcastle, Callaghan Campus, Newcastle 2308, Australia. clare.collins@newcastle.edu.au.
Clare E
CE
Collins
Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research, Deakin University, Geelong 3126, Australia. kylie.hesketh@deakin.edu.au.
Kylie D
KD
Hesketh
Priority Research Centre in Physical Activity and Nutrition, University of Newcastle, Callaghan Campus, Newcastle 2308, Australia. myles.young@newcastle.edu.au.
Myles D
MD
Young
Priority Research Centre in Physical Activity and Nutrition, University of Newcastle, Callaghan Campus, Newcastle 2308, Australia. tracy.burrows@newcastle.edu.au.
Tracy L
TL
Burrows
Discipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide 5042, Australia. anthea.magarey@flinders.edu.au.
Anthea M
AM
Magarey
Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research, Deakin University, Geelong 3126, Australia. h.brown@deakin.edu.au.
Helen L
HL
Brown
Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research, Deakin University, Geelong 3126, Australia. trina.hinkley@deakin.edu.au.
Trina
T
Hinkley
Discipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide 5042, Australia. r.perry@flinders.edu.au.
Rebecca A
RA
Perry
School of Psychology, Australian Catholic University, Sydney 3065, Australia. drleahbrennan@gmail.com.
Leah
L
Brennan
Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research, Deakin University, Geelong 3126, Australia. a.spence@deakin.edu.au.
Alison C
AC
Spence
Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research, Deakin University, Geelong 3126, Australia. karen.campbell@deakin.edu.au.
Karen J
KJ
Campbell
child obesity prevention; family-based; interventions; obesity; parents; prevention